The Brightest Shinigami
by Jarek Gray
Summary: A meeting with his mother's side of the family during her funeral sends Ichigo's life on a more focused path. Learning about Hollows and Shinigami earlier, as well as about reiatsu when he is young, lead to an Ichigo with better control and different experiences. Original Zanpakutou, Eventually Ichigo with Quincy and Hollow powers.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I think I have some Oxyclean somewhere though.**

**Author Note: Well, here we are with my second story and my first Bleach story. I would like to thank anyone that has views this story, but double the thanks to anyone who has followed me as an author. I hope everyone enjoys this story at least as much as **_**Son of the Green Beast**_**.**

Karakura Town was in the midst of a downpour as a relatively small group somberly partook in food as a loving woman was cremated. The Kurosaki family and some of their close friends were mourning the departure of Kurosaki Masaki from this plane of existence. Kurosaki Isshin, husband of the late Masaki sat trying to comfort his still very young twin daughters. The light-haired daughter, Yuzu, bawling her eyes out, while the dark-haired daughter Karin looked to be completely withdrawn.

Kurosaki Ichigo, the nine year old son of Isshin and Masaki, and also the only witness to her death, sat alone in the corner. He blamed himself for her death, as she died after pulling him away from a rushing river. His memory of the event was incomplete, shock having taken most of it from him. He had rushed to the river to save a young girl that looked to be falling in, and then he had opened his eyes and his mother was on top of him covered in blood. After that event, he had barely spoken, remaining alone and struggling to understand that his mother was never going to be there for him again.

"Um...hello, Ichigo-san." Ichigo turned his head, surprised that someone would willingly speak with him right now. A boy his own age wearing glasses with long, dark hair was looking at him. Ichigo was confused who this boy was, and why he had come to the funeral. "I'm Ishida Uryu, my dad said he and your mom were cousins, so that makes you and me cousins to." Ichigo stared blankly for a few minutes, before his brain caught up to meeting a supposed new family member.

"Oh, isn't your father the one that runs the big hospital?" Uryu smiled a little when his new cousin responded. His dad had said that he had grown apart from Masaki after she had married Isshin, and until a few days before the funeral hadn't even known that he had three cousins living in town. Uryu loved his grandfather, but he found it hard to spend time with his parents. Finding he had more family was something he began to look forward to, even though it had been a terrible event that allowed them to meet.

"Yes, but I don't spend much time with him. Usually it's just me and my grandpa hanging out. He's teaching me to be just like him." Uryu smiled wider thinking of his time with his grandpa and the training he was being given. Another thought struck him though, thinking about how he hadn't known about Ichigo until three days ago. "Wait, how do you know about my father?" Ichigo decided that talking with Uryu might be a good idea, after all, how often does someone meet a brand new cousin? "My dad runs the Kurosaki clinic, he mentions an Ishida Ryuuken every once in a while."

Ichigo quickly followed his answer with another question, hoping to learn more about his newly discovered family. "What does your grandpa do that you need to start learning from him so young to be like him?" Uryu's face went blank for a second, he hadn't meant to say anything about that, it had just slipped out. After weighing his options, Uryu decided that since Ichigo was related to him that he must already be able to see spirits. If Ichigo saw spirits, then he had reiryoku and reiatsu to some degree, and thus should learn to at least control his energy even if he didn't become a true Quincy.

"My grandpa is training me to use my Quincy powers so that I can fight evil spirits called Hollows. You can see spirits to, right Ichigo?" Ichigo's mind flashed to his mother's death, remembering the way the girl at the river had seemed to _float_ in the air for a few seconds. At first, he had attributed that to an illusion because people can't float and spirits seemed to prefer not to when they had a full body. He had never even considered that there were evil spirits that wanted to hurt people.

"Uryu, what do Hollows do that makes them evil?" Uryu turned momentarily pensive, before responding slowly. "They...eat people's souls. Shinigami can free the devoured souls by purifying Hollows, but Quincies destroy them utterly. Grandpa said that when I'm done training, I'll be able to distract Hollows and protect everyone around me until the Shinigami come to help. Oh, Shinigami are powerful spirits that try to protect the balance between life and death."

Ichigo, for the first time since his mother's death, grew hopeful. 'If I can learn to use my abilities, maybe I can find the Hollow that killed Mom and help a Shinigami free her.' "Do you think I could learn how to fight Hollows? Or maybe just learn to better recognize them to help spirits run and stall long enough for one of those Shinigami to show up?" Uryu outwardly looked to be considering the question carefully, but inside he was thrilled! He could have a cousin to help him one day and maybe they could both be Quincies if his Grandpa agreed to train Ichigo to use his powers, or maybe just move souls and people to safety while he distracted them.

"Well, I don't know, but I'll ask Grandpa if he can help you. Maybe he could even give you Quincy training!" Uryu was excited, even with the somber mood going on around them. Ichigo was deep in thought, however, and just graced his new favorite cousin with his first smile in days. 'I will become stronger, and more aware. I will protect my sisters and never let anyone down like I did Mom again!'

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A few days later, Uryu took Ichigo to visit Soken, Uryu's grandfather. Uryu was barely able to hold his enthusiasm that his grandpa agreed to help Ichigo with his reiryoku, even though he had said that he wouldn't be able to train Ichigo as a Quincy. In the woods outside town, Ichigo met his grand uncle, standing on the bank of a river with a small, sympathetic smile.

"Hello young one, you must be my grand nephew. I wish I could've gone to your mother's funeral, but I was ill, I'm not so young as I used to be." The man, while rather short, seemed friendly. His eyes had a light twinkling in them, and his demeanor and gray hair, moustache, and glasses made him come off as a gentle character, not an exterminator of evil beasts. Ichigo was confused at his looks, but bowed respectfully anyway.

"Yes, I am Kurosaki Ichigo. Uryu has told me a lot about you, Ishida-san." Soken gave a warm smile, before waving away the formality. "We are family, Ichigo, no need to be so formal." Ichigo was relieved he wouldn't need to keep that up, in spite of his parents' teachings he still had a distaste for formality. "Now, I believe that Uryu told you that I can't train you to be a Quincy, but that I can help you with your reiryoku, or overall spirit energy, and reiatsu, or spiritual pressure. There are reasons for this, but suffice to say, I don't have enough time to train you from stage one of being a Quincy and Uryu who has three years already at the same time."

Ichigo nodded, he hadn't wanted to be a Quincy really anyway. If he killed a Hollow as a Quincy, he might accidentally destroy his mom's soul. "I understand, I'm taking karate and I'm going to branch out in other skills to help my ability to defend my self, I just want to grasp my energy better." That statement was mostly true, although what Ichigo wanted most was to figure out how Shinigami powers worked, so that he could purify Hollows and save their victims. Soken gave a light sigh, he wished he was able to tell Ichigo the real reason why he wouldn't train him, as he had agreed with his son that Ichigo shouldn't be told of his father being a Shinigami. It would just breed more anger in a boy who had more than a healthy amount already.

"Alright, Ichigo, I'm going to teach you some meditation exercises in a moment. First, I'm going to 'flex' my reiatsu so you can feel an example of what it can be like. Everyone's reiatsu is different, even if only slightly. Now, hold still." The old Quincy gathered a large amount of reishi in his bow, straining his abilities to produce a large wave for the boy to feel. He knew the child would have felt his energy clearly already, if not for the large amount the boy exuded subconsciously. His body began to glow a silvery color, almost like condensed starlight.

Ichigo sat stunned at the feeling this old man was giving off. No wonder Uryu was so proud of him, he was making Ichigo feel like a weight was on his shoulders, before it was suddenly released with the large blue arrow he fired down the stream. "Now that you know what the energy, or at least my energy feels like, you should be able to find that same power in yourself. It is easiest for a first timer to imagine some form of container, filled with the equivalent of what you believe your energy to be. I phrase this the way I do because if you imagine my energy when you do it, you will just remember the sensation of my energy and feel a phantom sensation. Your personality, outlook, experiences, feelings, and a number of other factors affect what your power will appear to be and feel like."

Ichigo nodded, this man was obviously experienced as a teacher. His explanation was clear enough for the nine year old to understand exactly what he was saying. "Good, since you understand, envision your container. When you're done, dive into your power, and discover who you are." Unknown to the assembled group, Ichigo had been affected by the reiatsu the Quincy gave off. The light the Quincy gave off ended up becoming a torch to guide Ichigo to his destination, one that shined brighter than a thousand suns.

When he finished his 'container', which he saw as a spring, he mentally dove into it. The feeling was intense, he felt as if he was weightless and could even 'see' an intense golden light through his closed eyes that he knew wasn't the sun. His skin felt warm and he was overwhelmed enough that he opened his eyes, and saw that he was glowing intensely in a golden aura. He panicked and tried to shut his reiatsu off, unable to handle the way he felt right then. Soken assisted him by grabbing on to his arm and absorbing some of his excess, before firing off arrows that were gold instead of his own silver.

When Ichigo calmed down, Soken and Uryu checked him to make sure he was alright. 'I can't believe this, the boy has more raw reiryoku than I would ever have expected. I knew he would have a lot, but that was insane!' Soken kept his thoughts hidden, before he spoke to Ichigo once again. "Ichigo, you have a naturally high amount of power, I want you to meditate daily, for at least one hour. When you do so, close your eyes and imagine your container being walled off, with only small openings for your power. Breathe deeply and evenly when you do so, and keep your power as suppressed as you can. You have enough power to influence the spirits of those around you subconsciously, and that is dangerous."

Ichigo was still reeling from the way his energy had felt, but managed another quick nod to show he understood. "Also, if you have enough time, I suggest both increasing your martial arts beyond just karate, and picking up some form of relaxing hobby. Uryu sews, I whittle, and having a hobby like that can help keep your mind clear and focused. It can assist your control, and soothe your nerves when things are rough." Uryu nodded eagerly to Ichigo, proud that his grandpa had so much advice and that his cousin was so naturally strong.

"Thank you, Soken-san. I will try my best to follow your advice, and I will meditate just as you said. Uryu, we should spend some time together when we're both free. Sayonara." Ichigo returned to where his father had been waiting, knowing that he wouldn't need much time to get what training and wisdom the elder Quincy could give. Isshin sighed when he saw Ichigo come toward him, wishing once more that he could still see and feel the other world.

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Two years passed, and Ichigo had made a great deal of progress controlling and suppressing his energy. He had also calmed greatly and kept to his word about following Soken's advice. Whereas originally, Ichigo had only spent time learning karate, he had decided to increase his training by learning jiu-jitsu and even began training at a koryu, Niten Ichi-ryu. He specialized in Nito Seiho, or wielding an odachi and kodachi simultaneously. He had also picked up a hobby, and started playing guitar. His favorite band was Bad Religion.

Unfortunately, this day was another funeral, one being held for Ishida Soken, who had been overwhelmed by a group of large Hollows, his stamina no longer enough to last in a battle of attrition. Ichigo had been there just as much to help Uryu as he had to lament his own grief. Uryu had told him of how the Shinigami team arrived too late to help his grandfather, and how they were to blame for Soken's death. "Uryu, I know you are in a lot of pain now, but it is the Hollows that killed your grandpa, not the Shinigami.

Uryu glared at Ichigo, bitter at the loss of his closest family member. He knew Ichigo had felt similar when Masaki had died, but no one in mourning wants to accept that other people had felt pain like theirs. "I lost my mother to a Hollow, and now the wisest man I have ever met was taken from his grandson because of these beasts. The Shinigami have a huge area and many people they need to help, and a number of duties they must take care of, but until the day we wind up in Soul Society, we wil never know why they didn't make it in time."

Ichigo tried to help Uryu over the next few months, and into years later. He advanced to top ranks in his classes, was a top ten student academically, befriended a kind giant he decided should be named 'Chad', and honed what his skills he had as much as possible. The only thing that kept Uryu from hunting every Hollow that appeared in town was Ichigo's admittance that he was afraid it would destroy Masaki's soul at one point. The two cousins remained friends, but rarely saw one another as Ichigo's workload and training even after finishing formal instruction took up too much time, and Uryu became convinced that if he tried hard enough, he could prove his grandfather right, and make the Shinigami come to value the aid of the Quincy.

Life was going smoothly with the exception of his father's 'surprise' attacks for Ichigo, and the thugs that attacked him for having orange hair. Having both a locking/grappling art and a striking art meant that Ichigo had a variety of skills to mix and match though, and the fact he was easily stronger and faster naturally than the thugs was only compounded as he tried to teach himself to access his raw power in bursts of energy to sharply increase his abilities. The first time he tried he used too much strength and hospitalized a thug by shattering his sternum, but he practiced on trees until he had a better feel for the power afterwards.

Ichigo would have stated that he was having a good day so far. He spent some time with his friends and convinced Uryu to help the kyudo club in competitions, tried something his oldest friend Tatsuki's friend Orihime cooked, which to his surprise actually tasted okay, and even finished all his homework early enough to visit a spirit not too far from his house. When he arrived, however, his day was going to become significantly more irritating.

"You smashed Yama-bro, man! Let's get him!" Ichigo didn't even take a step as he flattened the group of punks that knocked over a vase of flowers he made for the little girl Plus. He also didn't say a word to them, and when the conscious members asked why, he just pointed at the broken vase. "Thank you for scaring them off." The meek voice of the Plus Ichigo found a couple days ago came from behind the streetlight, making Ichigo smile. "Don't mention it. I'll put a new vase and flowers in tomorrow, okay?" A smile and nod replied to him, before he ruffled the girl's hair and walked home.

"I'm ho-" Ichigo's announcement was stopped short as he ducked a roundhouse from his father and executed a leg lock. "Dad, we've been through this, You haven't hit me since I was fourteen, and it isn't gonna change anytime soon." Isshin made a pained grimace as his son stretched one of his legs in the wrong direction, before responding as he usually did. "No son of mine is going to be a delinquent and miss his curfew! Dinner is at seven, and it is a quarter past right now!"

Ichigo just released his man-child father and greeted his sister's instead. They were more mature than 'goat-chin' easily. "Hey Yuzu, Karin. How was school today?" Ichigo ignored the sounds of his father crying to a poster of his mother about 'damned teenage hormones ruining our son', and instead gave one of his rare smiles to his sisters. Yuzu, the younger, lighter haired sister, who had taken over their mother's chores around the house, was first to answer.

"It was fine, I just hope I'm ready for that test next week." Karin, a somber dark haired girl that had adopted her older brother's permanent scowl, just grunted noncommittally and pointed over Ichigo's shoulder. "Hm?" Ichigo turned and faced a middle aged man wearing glasses, or at least his top half. "I don't get it. I stopped leaking my power like I used to and can suppress it almost perfectly now, so how do these guys keep finding me?"

The spirit just shrugged before Ichigo held his temples and went to his bedroom. Not long after sitting down, Ichigo saw a pure black swallow-tail butterfly flap its way into his room, followed by a petite black haired woman dressed in a black shihakusho wearing a sword. 'Shinigami? What the hell is she doing in here?' "It's near…" The words were spoken lowly, but it was enough for Ichigo to hear.

"What's near, is there a Hollow close by? If there is, why can't I sense it?" The woman ignored his questions and gazed around his room, her attentions focused on finding the...giant spirit in a room far too small for it to hide in. Until she was kicked in the back and introduced to Ichigo's floor. "Hey Shinigami, I'm talking to you!" Ichigo maintained a rebellious attitude and temper even with all the discipline he learned for his martial arts. The Shinigami blinked, then quickly spun to face her attacker.

"Wait, you can see me? You know about Shinigami?" Ichigo's scowl became more severe than usual. "Did it look like I was talking to someone else? Of course I can see you, and yes, I know all about the functions of the afterlife." The girl blinked owlishly, she hadn't been briefed on anyone aware of them in this town, it wasn't exactly common knowledge after all. The Shinigami was already fed up with all the attitude this teen was giving her though, and decided to show him exactly who he was messing with.

"Bakudo number 1: Sai!" Ichigo felt his arms snap behind his back painfully, and barely managed to remain standing to glare down at the midget that just cast a spell in him. "What the hell midget! I answer your questions after you break into my house, and now you're trying to paralyze me?! Maybe Uryu was telling the truth when he said Shinigami were all just arrogant bastards." The petite woman glared back at him, barely hiding her surprise that he had been able to remain standing, though it seemed apparent that he couldn't walk.

"How dare you call me a-" A shrill scream and a deep roar sounded while she attempted to berate the disrespectful punk whose home she broke into. "Yuzu!" Ichigo quickly did what he needed to escape the binds, accessing the deep wellspring from which his power flowed, and took out the blocks. The same harsh gold aura surrounded him as when he was nine, but now, at fifteen, it was twice as bright and flowed out so much his body could no longer be seen. An audible snap was heard as the spell broke, before Ichigo charged down to rescue his sisters.

'He...He just broke my spell with raw power as a human! That shouldn't be possible! There was enough energy in that display to rival a fifth seat, what the hell is he?' the petite woman snapped from her daze and charged outside, only to witness as Ichigo dodged the Hollows claws and grabbed his sister. She dashed to the Hollow and slashed its mask in two, defeating the beast. She sheathed her sword and turned to Ichigo, only to be struck hard by another Hollow that had shown itself.

'Damn it! I got careless and didn't make sure the area was clear. The only option left is...' "Hey kid!" Ichigo looked to the downed woman as she called to him, his sisters currently safe as the creature was interested in him alone at the moment. He sprinted to the light she was at as the Hollow dealt with the enhanced blow he gave it. It hadn't been enough to truly wound the beast, but he had bought a few seconds. "What is it Shinigami, do you have a plan to beat this thing?"

The Shinigami nodded, before holding her sword blade out to Ichigo's chest. "I'll give you my powers, but I have to stab you in the chest to make it work." Ichigo didn't hesitate before grabbing the blade, and looking into the eyes of the wounded warrior in front of him. "Kurosaki Ichigo, how about you?" The woman looked back at him, before speaking and thrusting her blade in unison, "Kuchiki Rukia"

A massive explosion of the golden reiatsu from before came from Ichigo's body, blinding both Rukia and the Hollow that had just managed to turn to them. When their eyes recovered, a now dressed in white Rukia and the Hollow saw Ichigo wearing a Shihakusho, with two blades in his hands. His left hand carried a sword longer than a wakizashi and shorter than a katana, a white scabbard for it in his sash. His right hand gripped a sword falling somewhere between an average katana and a nodachi in length. Its golden scabbard lying directly below the other on his left hip, the traditional method for carrying two swords used by medieval samurai. His body continued to glow for several seconds, before he angled his body toward the Hollow.

'I only meant to give him half my strength, but he took it all. He even has dual Zanpakuto like Ukitake-taichou' Rukia's thoughts were interrupted when the Hollow unleashed another roar before charging Ichigo. It tried a swipe with its claws at Ichigo, but a quick blur from his right hand and the Hollow's arm disconnected. Ichigo decided to finish up quick and leaped up to the Hollow's face, stabbing his short sword into its forehead, purifying the Hollow and all of its victims souls.

Ichigo picked Rukia up and took her in with his family, before returning to his body. The switch back to flesh and blood was too severe for Ichigo to handle at the moment though, and he passed out. A certain blonde with a bucket hat, geta sandals, and a cane walked to the only person still conscious at the Kurosaki home, a wide grin on his face. "Well Ms. Kuchiki, seems you might need a little help…"

**Endnote: Love it, hate it, be completely indifferent for it, another uncommon pairing universe select change story from Jarek Gray is now in the works. I do hope everyone likes this idea though, and that it gets some reviews of course. Oh, and for everyone used to my rapid updating pace, I am taking a full load of classes starting the eighteenth, so expect my rate to decline to once a week per story at that point. It might slow down more if I get too bogged down though, but bare minimum of one per story every other week.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I have a compulsive need to read every review.**

**Author Note: Thank you to: Rei Rusuragi, princessariellover876, Dragonlord001, 'Blackstriker94', Consort of Chaos, coduss, pyrohellgunner, G96 Sabre, and LordGhostStriker for reviewing. coduss asked if there was any chance for a pairing, the answer is yes. However, I have yet to pick the pairing, I'm leaning between three choices, one of whom is essentially a gimmick since she shows up very late in the series and has little screen time. So, I guess it will be either Orihime or Yoruichi. Not looking forward to Yoruichi and Soifon love triangle if I do that one though. The Endnote from chapter 1 said 'uncommon', but the pairing I was going to use would have required more changes than I wanted my story to touch upon.**

Ichigo awoke with a headache that sounded much like what Keigo told him a hangover felt like. If Ichigo had ever considered drinking, this was enough to change his mind. Of course, he had never considered doing so anyway, and he had been a Shini… oh. That's why his head hurt, that burst of power from gaining a Shinigami's abilities had drained him. Soon, a different type of pounding would fill his ear drums, the kind that would make him sigh, disappointed that his words once more fell on deaf ears.

"Gooooood Morning, Ichigo!" Isshin burst through Ichigo's door, leaping into a jump kick and shouting "Dynamic Entry!" Ichigo ducked rather than blocking as he usually did, causing his dad to fly out his open window. Ichigo spared a glance to see if he was alright, but his stomach told him breakfast was more important, and his splitting headache was vindictive at the man for shouting in Ichigo's tender position.

When he got downstairs he saw proof that last night really happened, if his headache wasn't enough. "Good morning, Onii-chan! Come get some breakfast, you look like you could use it." Ah, Yuzu was so much like his mother. A new thought entered his mind; now that he had Shinigami powers he could find and kill the Hollow that took his mother from him, and send her soul on to Soul Society where it belonged. First he had to figure out how to activate his powers, then he could save her soul.

"Morning, Yuzu. Do you remember what happened last night?" Yuzu blinked, before she asked a question. "Onii-chan, you slept through what happened, that truck tore a hole through our wall and you slept just fine." Ichigo smiled, glad Yuzu didn't remember being grabbed by a Hollow. "Oh? And what about you, Karin? Were you hurt?"

She gave a noncommittal grunt before grabbing her bag, waiting for Yuzu before they went to class. "Alright, well I'm off to school, see you two later." He gave Yuzu a hug and messed up Karin's cap on the way out, getting a smile and a facsimile of an irritated glare as he went out the door. 'So they don't remember, but that Shinigami was too tired and weak to do this, so who helped her? Reinforcements from Soul Society? I wish I had asked Uryu more about… wait! I can just ask him today!'

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"IIIIIIII-CHIIIIIIII-GOOOOOOOOO-UGH!" Keigo felt Ichigo's tough love once again, today he was given a turn and tossed over Ichigo's shoulder. Really, if Mizuiro weren't so cool he wouldn't put up with Keigo. It was too much like hanging with his dad. One day, he would leave and not have to deal with his dad, but having a clone of him hanging around afterwards was a fate that Ichigo humbly believed no one deserved. As he walked into class with his customary slight wave back at Keigo, he saw Uryu giving him a confused look.

Just as he was about to reach his cousin, Ochi-sensei came in the room, all the students being sent to their assigned seats. "Greetings class, today we have a new transfer student, Kuchiki-san, introduce yourself." Ichigo barely kept his composure seeing the Shinigami at his school, and he looked to see if she had enough power left for Uryu to recognize what she was. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Uryu looked the same as he usually did, which meant that even if he did recognize he wasn't going to do anything about it.

"Hello, my name is Kuchiki Rukia, please take care of me." She gave a bow when she spoke those words, leading to most the men in class becoming instant fans. They seemed to be fans of cuteness, as opposed to bombshell looks. Except for Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, Mizuiro, and Orihime's fans. "Very good, Kuchiki-san. Why don't you take the empty desk next to… Kurosaki Ichigo. You don't mind, do you Ichigo-kun?" Sometimes Ichigo thought that Ochi-sensei wasn't the safest teacher for him to be around, but maybe it was just his top five in school status and his regular work after school assisting clubs that made her talk to him like that.

"Greetings, Ichigo-san, I hope that we can be friends." The words 'make a scene and you are dead' were written on her palm, but Ichigo just laughed when he saw them. "Sure, Kuchiki-san, but I think my other friends take some getting used to." Keigo was staring at Rukia with heart-shaped pupils, something Ichigo would never even try to make sense of. No reason to even try, when he saw others look like that all the time.

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When the break came, Rukia dragged Ichigo out of the class, much to the displeasure of all her new fans, and Ichigo's friends. "You took my powers, so you will take over my responsibilities or face the consequences." Rukia kept her statement short and to the point, making sure to build herself up to her full height to intimidate Ichigo. Who was literally a foot and a half taller than her, so it didn't work quite the way she hoped it would. Ichigo in turn lowered his gaze to view her eye-to-eye, his eyes glowing golden with his suppressed energy.

"Listen here, pipsqueak. I have your powers because you were failing in your duty, and in terms of both physical strength inside that Gigai you inhabit, and spiritual since I can release my power in my human body, I outclass you. I'll take care of the Hollows, don't worry about that, but if you think you can just get away with threatening me or anyone else, I'll take care of you just as easily. You need my help, and you have it. Don't make me your enemy."

Rukia was struggling not to cower, his harsh powers feeling as though she was being burnt away. The bell rang as she went to respond, and Ichigo let his powers return to himself. She stood still for a few seconds to regain her breath, but still made it back to class in time. She hoped that Ichigo wouldn't use his powers on her, as adding her power to his made him the level of a third seat in terms of raw pressure easily.

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The rest of class passed without incident, though Uryu didn't join Ichigo and the others for lunch, which Ichigo could only assume meant that he had realized just what Rukia was. "So, Kuchiki-san, how do you know Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime had joined them today, since Tatsuki had wanted to talk to Ichigo, who in spite of the way she referred to him she didn't know very well. Rukia looked confused for a moment, before responding.

"What do you mean, we met in class this morning?" Orihime worried her lip a little, but eventually pointed out what had set her off this morning. "But… you called him 'Ichigo-san', so I assumed you already knew each other, I'm sorry." Ichigo answered this time, really the girl was too shy around him. "You can do that to, Orihime. I'm not going to bite you for using my first name." Orihime blushed and nodded, but was no longer able to speak, flights of fancy running through her head.

"This is great, but seriously, why didn't you tell me that your house got hit by a truck?! I would have come by to help." Ichigo rubbed his head at Tatsuki's accusatory tone, but answered anyway. "I slept through the whole thing, and I woke up with an absolutely killer headache. No one was hurt anyway." Tatsuki was Ichigo's oldest friend, but either Uryu or Chad was his closest. Probably Uryu, but he had given Chad his new name, so that counted for something.

Rukia's cell phone started beeping in her pocket, and she caught Ichigo's eye as she stood up. "Ichigo-san, mind showing me where the bathrooms are, I'm still not used to the layout here." Ichigo stood up and followed Rukia off the roof, where she stopped him by grabbing his wrist. "A Hollow has appeared not too far from here, let's go take care of it." Ichigo followed her to a park close to the school, while Rukia slipped on a glove that featured a flaming skull.

When they reached the park, Ishigo saw a spider-like Hollow chasing the ghost of a young boy. He didn't expect what happened next. Rukia's hand slammed into his back and threw his new Shinigami form out of his body. He ran past the child with one hand on each of his blades, ready to end the creature the moment he had a chance. As the spirit passed him, he lashed out, his wakizashi severing a leg and his katana scratching its mask. The Hollow faded from view, appearing behind Ichigo and being stabbed in its forehead, much as the Hollow he had taken down the night before had been.

The boy looked at Ichigo in awe, which became fearful as the tall, scowling teen neared him. "Don't worry kid, I'm gonna help you pass on now. It won't hurt a bit, and these monsters won't chase you anymore." The boy didn't move or even speak as Ichigo brought the pommel of his longer sword until it rested on the boy's forehead, light blooming around him. "Thank you Mister, bye!" The boy blinked out of existence, Rukia looking on with a smile.

"So I guess that whole big bad Ichigo from earlier was just an act, huh?" Ichigo's face lost its soft, kind look from when he spoke to the child, and regained the intimidating scowl it usually had. "I guess you don't care that everyone thinks I spent the last hour in the bathroom with you, huh?" Rukia's face lit up red, in anger or embarrassment, Ichigo wasn't sure. He would be beyond embarrassed if someone said that to him, but he still knew how to be a normal teen once in a while.

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Ichigo headed to Uryu's training area in the woods instead of going straight home when school ended. If he was going to be spending time as a Shinigami and around other Shinigami, his cousin needed to know. Just as he walked past the treeline at the riverbank, he saw a blue arrow fly down the river and crash into a waterfall. "I wondered just why I felt your power from all the way across town last night, and then I see a Shinigami that knows you, and feel your power again after lunch. So, how does it feel to be an arrogant prick?"

The tone and words were biting, but Ichigo knew this was what passed for humor from Uryu. "Well, I don't think I'm a prick yet, maybe it is some form of slow descent into prickishness. That Shinigami definitely fit the bill though, tried to paralyze me when I was so polite as to answer her questions when she broke into my home. Really, I think that being alive might let me overcome the instinct to think myself better than everyone around me." Uryu gave a smile, before he shook his head and asked what had been on his mind since he felt Ichigo's changes.

"Why did you become a Shinigami though? Is it because of your mom, or maybe Grandpa?" Ichigo looked down, remembering that he had a large number of Hollows that he owed his blade to yet. "No, though I will avenge him and free my mother if I can. My sisters were in danger and the Shinigami got nailed with a surprise attack. I had to take her powers to protect them. I was hoping you would help me access my powers in my human body though, so that I wouldn't need to be constantly in arms reach of the Shinigami to purify Hollows."

Uryu wasn't really happy with the change, but he would help his cousin if he could. Now that his grandpa and mother were dead, Ichigo was his closest family member. "Alright, but you're gonna need some type of focus to use your powers the way I do. Since you have a Zanpakuto you will purify rather than destroy, but I can only teach you the Quincy manifestation technique." Ichigo smirked and pulled out his two boken that he used in training.

"Well, I guess that'll work, I can't fashion you a cross anyway. Try channeling your reiatsu through those sticks, and we'll see what happens." Ichigo hoped that his boken would be able to take enough of his power to be a focus, but they shined golden light and blew apart in his hands. "Well, Grandpa said that a Zanpakuto is born of a Shinigami's soul, and in a literal sense is an inner manifestation of their true self. Try grabbing onto your power like you did when you first used it, and see if there is anything new."

Ichigo knew exactly where his power was and what it felt like, so this time it took only a moment to dive into it. He felt an odd sensation tingle throughout his skin, one he had recently felt several times. When he opened his eyes, his body was glowing once more, and his shihakusho had layered itself over his clothes, his two Zanpakuto were in the belt holding it closed.

"Seems you can call your power whenever you need, but it makes you light up like Akihabara. On the bright side, it'll blind any opponents if you activate when they are looking at you." Ichigo wanted to say something about the 'bright side' pun, but instead ignored it as he let his power fade. The glow, uniform, and swords faded away in tandem, leaving the river as it was before.

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"I'm telling you Tatsuki-chan, there is something between K-Ichigo-kun and Rukia-san! A boy and girl don't just go to the bathroom together for hours, or skip class together. Ochi-sensei even started crying when she realized that Ichigo-kun left!" Tatsuki thought it was inappropriate that their teacher had the same feelings for Ichigo that some of the other girls did, but Orihime was more inportant at the moment.

"Orihime-chan, its okay. Maybe there was an emergency and Ichigo volunteered to take her home, you know that he is responsible when people need help. How about you tell him tomorrow, then you worry when he runs off with some new girl." Orihime blushed, shaking her head. "You know I can't do that! Every time I try to talk to him I freeze up, its so scary. What if he doesn't like me? I want to at least be friends with him."

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Inoue Sora looked watched his precious little sister talk to her friend, wondering if maybe she still remembered him. He used to see her eat dinner with his shrine at night, but now she was always talking with this Tatsuki girl, most of the time about how great some 'Ichigo' guy was. When he was close enough to hear her, anyway. Most nights he kept his distance, satisfied that she was alright.

A chill formed in the air behind him, breaking his attention away from his sister-watching. A hand grabbed him and pulled him into a portal of pure darkness pain from where the claws dug through his flesh. He stood in an empty white plain surrounded by monsters with white masks, all of whom jumped onto his body, biting him repeatedly. Screams of pain and misery echoed in the nothingness, Sora rising again wearing a mask like all of theirs. His shouts became furious, and two subjects centered his thoughts. Ichigo, the one who stole his sister, and Orihime herself, who had forgotten him.

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Ichigo was sitting on his bed, finishing his nightly exercise routine when his closet opened from the inside. "Ichigo, why don't you have any decent clothes in here? I heard you say your dad runs a clinic, so you can't be that poor. Did you spend everything on the monstrosity over there?" The moment he realized she was pointing at his guitar, any thoughts of dignifying her with a response left him. He wished the Shinigami he was stuck with would be a more agreeable person, not someone that bad mouthed his Bad Religion posters and signed guitar. He had spent a lot on them, but it was totally worth his allowance that he never spent.

Rukia's phone started back up, ending her rant about respecting her before it even started. A Hollow burst from the darkness behind Ichigo, nearly taking his head off. When it turned around for another try, he lit up his powers and struck while it was blinded. It managed to dodge, though only just, and ran away through another portal. "Rukia, get to tracking him, I can't let him escape!" Rukia looked at her phone, and saw the Hollow appear a few blocks away, heeding a straight path. "Got him, he's a few blocks that way, and running!"

Ichigo was startled when Rukia pointed in the direction of Orihime's place. He had walked her and Tatsuki home a couple times, until Tatsuki complained that they could take care of themselves. 'Wait, I think I saw a picture in her house once of a guy that had hair and eyes like that Hollow's… Her brother! Shit, have to hurry up!' Ichigo launched out of his window, heading to where he knew his friend lived.

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"Orihime, listen. If you like Ichigo you should let him know, he is a nice guy. Remember how you said you met him when your brother died? You said that he helped comfort you the whole time you were at the clinic, and that it was part of what made you like him. Give it a chance, even if he says no, he won't hate you for it." She considered it, but wasn't one hundred percent sure. Ichigo had been really nice, but he could've changed. Tatsuki wasn't his closest friend anymore, and she barely though he viewed her as an acquaintance.

Further conversation was stopped when Tatsuki was knocked through the air into a wall, unconscious in seconds. Orihime looked on in terror, before a similar hit took her in the chest. Her head felt funny, and her eyes felt like she opened them after a really long time closed. Some weird creature with the top of a man and the bottom of a snake wearing a white mask picked her up, and she felt something pulling in her chest. "You are going to be mine again, Orihime. Me and you together forever, just like before."

She felt terrified, she couldn't breathe. That voice was so familiar, but she was in a panic and couldn't place it. "Let go! You hurt Tatsuki-chan, you're hurting me! Leave me alone!" Shouting that was clearly a mistake, as the creature squeezed her harder. Her head was thrown back in pain, a new voice easing the pressure she felt.

"Stop it Sora! That is your sister, the one you have to protect more than anything!" Orihime turned to see Ichigo glowing in golden light, a sword in each hand and a fiercer than normal scowl on his face. "Ichigo, what do you mean? Sora is dead, and he isn't a snake man!" Ichigo looked at Orihime, his remark ended when he saw the chain connecting to _both_ of Orihime's chests. "No… HOW?! SHE'S YOUR SISTER!" Sora's voice came from the creature holding her, recognizable now that Ichigo had revealed him.

"It's YOUR fault, because of you, she forgot me! Now she's mine again, and I'm not letting go! Our souls will combine and be together forever." His rant ended with him down a hand, Ichigo's glow having rendered his body impossible to view. Sora tried to strike Ichigo with his other hand's claws, but the second sword robbed him of that hand as well. He roared in pain, but Ichigo booted him in his face through Orihime's window, the same window he had to watch her from since his death in that car accident.

"Do you know why elder brothers are born first?" Ichigo was only whispering now, his voice echoing out of his resplendent shell of energy. Sora growled, but Ichigo's short blade had been stabbed through his tail to hold him still. "It's so that they can protect the little ones that come afterwards. You killed your sister, and were going to eat her soul. It's about time you go where you belong." Ichigo's glow faded enough for him to be seen again, his remaining blade raised to strike Sora down, when a Orihime jumped in front of her brother, arms spread wide.

"Please Ichigo-kun, spare Sora. He only did it because he loves me, and missed me. He didn't know that I never forgot about him." Sora raised his head and spoke again after hearing that. "W-what? You remembered me?" Orihime turned and smiled, nodding her head. "First thing when I get home everyday I tell you how I've been and what the day was like. I sit in front of your shrine and smile, I thought that you would be happy if I smiled for you."

Sora's mask broke, tears falling from his eyes. "I… I'm sorry, Orihime. I thought you didn't care about me anymore, that you hadn't for a years." She brushed her hair with her hands, showing off the hairpins she wore. "I've been wearing them ever since, I'd never forget you. Please Sora, forgive me for not realizing how much I hurt you." Sora nodded, unable to speak. He motioned for Ichigo to finish him, he wanted to die still in control.

Ichigo walked over slowly, finishing with a quick thrust through the forehead, the same place he left the mark of a Konso. "Ichigo, I can still heal Orihime and change their memories of what happened, would you like me to?" Rukia was oddly being quiet and subdued. He nodded, no one should remember something like this.

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"Good morning, Ichigo-kun!" He smiled and returned Orihime's greeting, glad that she had indeed forgotten the night before. That is until one of the other girls in class asked her a question. "Hey Orihime, I heard that your apartment's window and a bunch of the stuff in it got messed up, what happened?" Orihime smiled, Rukia's device having given her a far better explanation for what happened.

"A crazy sumo wrestler broke in! He hit Tatsuki-chan and I tried to fight him, but he was just too strong. Then, Ichigo showed up at my door and he was glowing golden light, and he threw the sumo guy out my window and made sure I was okay before he disappeared. Ichigo-kun is a superhero!" This statement made many of the girls in class that admired Ichigo's looks even if they thought he was scary swoon, and Ichigo himself felt like he might just start glowing again when Rukia laughed.

Having fans was bad enough, them thinking he was approachable would be absolute murder. Rukia just kept giggling, her thoughts a little less murderous than his. 'Ha! Make people think I would do something inappropriate with you, and I get my revenge!' Until she and Uryu looked at Ichigo since his eyes really were glowing now. Rukia really hoped there would be some Hollows today, if only so he wouldn't decide to… spar with her.

**Endnote: Chapter 2, Mission: Complete. Anyway, Chad and the parakeet, Kon, and anything that is not Don Kanonji coming up soon, since I hate him. A lot. Almost as much as I hate the word 'moist'. Anyway, my profile will be updated with the regular update schedule these stories will have starting the eighteenth. Also, just because Orihime has feelings already does not guarantee the pairing. Have fun.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I have an unending love for the 1980's.**

**Author Note: Thank you to: Arrankor, Consort of Chaos, pyrohellgunner, Hornet07, LordGhostStriker, and my anonymous guest for reviewing. So last chapter I stated that I was on the fence about the pairing, but now I am completely sure about who to use. Yoruichi it is, though I might try for both. I'll decide later. Besides, Yoruichi I'm pretty sure doesn't have a preference, and back in the first major arc, Orihime talks to Rukia and Tatsuki and the other characters whose names I care not to remember, about how awesome it would be if all of them liked Ichigo. Plus, she never complains when Chizuru feels her up. Her crying into a naked Rangiku's cleavage also is a reason for speculation. Soifon will get a partner to, just because I feel bad how often she winds up alone.**

Ichigo had been able to scare his fans back to an appropriate stalking distance, and it had been far easier than he thought. His constant glaring at Rukia, combined with his massive reiatsu made it uncomfortable for anyone to be near him. He was glad that they couldn't see his eyes glow though, it was intimidating but to someone who liked him, the effect was unknown.

Today, Rukia told him that she had a gift for him, something that would ease suspicion about him always leaving class. He thought she just wanted to make the glares stop, but something that would get Ochi-sensei to stop calling his home crying was a good thing. He shuddered to think just how many times he had been alone with the woman, who had apparently developed the same creepy fixation so many other girls had. Maybe it was all the help he gave clubs, or the fact that his school uniform was a tad tighter than usual, showing off all the lean muscle he gained from martial arts.

He knew Orihime had something similar, but he wasn't worried about it since she was so shy. Well, Uryu had been the one to tell him, but he knew anyway. When the bell for break finally rang, Rukia pulled him out of class to the courtyard. She made sure no one was watching, then pulled out what looked like a PEZ dispenser with a duck head to dispense the candy.

"Ichigo, this device holds a Gikon, an artificial soul. You swallow the Gikongan that comes out, and you are separated from your body, while the Gikon takes it over until you return. This way, you get to stay in class and fight Hollows simultaneously." Ichigo silently contemplated the morality of creating false souls, but his desire to escape rants about disappearing from class overpowered his personal dislike of the idea.

"Alright, so I just press the top of it and it comes out, right?" Rukia nodded, and Ichigo experimented to discover just what this would be like. A lemon-zesty aftertaste filled his mouth when he separated from his body, which fell down for a few seconds before standing back up. "Hello, boss! I'm Kon, and it will be my pleasure to stand in your stead today. I am polite, and excellent at following orders." This apparently scripted greeting was completed with a salute, creating a terrible feeling in Ichigo's gut.

"Thanks Kon, but I do-" "Ichigo, there's a Hollow, come quick!" Thus Rukia led Ichigo off to where Hollows had conveniently arrived. Kon waved and smiled as they left, an odd gleam entering his eyes as they turned a corner and left. 'Ha, totally bought it, now to see just what I can do in this body.' Kon turned and hopped in place a few times. He launched Ichigo's leg with enough force to rip clean through the metal fencing around the hallways, almost like it wasn't even there.

His smile moved from the light grin he had at having a body into a face-splitting grin. "Hey! Kurosaki, what are you doing?! Don't think that you're helping the kendo club last match will forgive this vandalism. Kon turned and looked mildly surprised at the teacher with the boken, his smile momentarily shrinking.

"Wait, you saw me cut through a metal fence with a snap-kick, and you think it's a good idea to call me out on it? Wow, no wonder you need Ichigo's protection, you humans are idiots." Kon leaped over the teacher and the school wall, landing in a different courtyard that was directly under Ichigo's class.

Tatsuki, Orihime, Chad, and Uryu watched as Ichigo jumped from the courtyard up four floors to their class, among many others. Ichigo's eyes locked on Orihime, his smirk strengthening. "Hello, beautiful. Hows about you give Ichigo a little kiss?" Orihime did exactly as everyone that knew both her and Ichigo expected, fainting dead away in her seat.

"Chad, listen closely, that isn't Ichigo. It looks like him, but there is no way my cousin would act so shamelessly." The giant of hispanic descent looked at Uryu, not sure what to think. True, Ichigo never acted like this, but who else could that be. The jumping up onto the windowsill was odd, but Chad bet that Ichigo could've done that if he wanted anyway.

"Look, just grab him and I'll ask him a question to prove it's someone else, than we just hold him until the real one gets back." Chad was conflicted, but he followed Uryu's instructions. Uryu had been his friend since a week or so after Ichigo, when Ichigo hung out with people, Uryu was almost always there. Several yaoi fangirls had spread rumors, but no one seriously believed them. When Ichigo and Uryu had been asked by an adventurous girl at lunch one day, they both looked slightly ill and clarified that they were cousins, and no, not kissing-cousins.

Kon felt two things happen, first, a new wall had spawned behind him, before growing walls and holding him still. Then, the tomboy that had been checking the hot chick he hit on punched him square in the nose. Really hard. Some guy with glasses walked up to him, a cross dangling from a bracelet with every step. "Sorry to break it to you four-eyes, but I'm not into dudes."

Uryu nearly manifested his bow, but he restrained himself away from killing this thing, because it seemed to be in Ichigo's body. At least they already had proof that this wasn't Ichigo here. "I told you it wasn't Ichigo, Chad. Oh, Tatsuki, I think you broke his nose. I know anything that causes Orihime to act weird results in you punching it, but that might have been a little too far."

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Ichigo sighed as he killed the last Hollow that had appeared. He'd had a bad feeling about leaving his body with the Gikon, but it had been getting progressively worse during the battle. He hoped the creature hadn't gotten stuck alone with Ochi-sensei and made to follow orders. He wanted his virginity intact when he got back to class.

"Ichigo, your nose is bleeding, thinking something naughty?" Ichigo considered once more using her communicator to reveal exactly what she had done to Soul Society, but maybe he could get Kido lessons if he promised to stay quiet about it. Besides, he hadn't thought anything that would cause a nosebleed, maybe something that would turn him green, but not bloody.

"Let's just get back to class, I hope my reputation hasn't disappeared while I was away from my body. If something happened, I'm blaming you." That was enough to make Rukia hope that this Gikon had been just as much of an ass as Ichigo, otherwise he might glow at her more. With her current level of reiatsu, his glow said that he had enough power to tear her in half bare-handed, and she was rather partial to being a whole body.

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When Ichigo arrived to find Chad holding his body still and Uryu enraged holding a reishi bow to his physical head, Ichigo knew two things. First, Kon would be brutally punished. Next, Rukia was either going to teach him Kido or he would flash his powers at her randomly through class to give her anxiety attacks.

"Hey, Uryu. What did this thing do?" Uryu turned and barely managed to calm down and avoid shooting his cousin. "Well, it insinuated that I was gay, it tried to make out with Orihime, told Tatsuki that he would eat her 'real nice' if she convinced Chad to drop him, and screamed rape a few times while Chad held him.

Rukia shrunk as Ichigo faced her, his whole body glowing. The Gikon shrunk away from his gaze as well, knowing that he could kill him easily after retaking his body. Chad was squinting at Ichigo, wondering why he could hear his friend's voice. Orihime and Tatsuki both looked straight at him not understanding how there were two Ichigos. Or why one of them was a lantern.

"Kon, these are serious accusations, explain yourself, and I might show you mercy. Put your soul inside something else so you can experience the world around you a little." Kon looked up at the prospect of not dying, relief spreading through his features. "I'm not just an artificial soul, but a mod soul. We were created to be put in human corpses and fight alongside the Shinigami. When the project was completed, Central 46 decided that the mod souls were inhumane. All of us were destroyed, save a few that escaped like myself. I might be the last living mod soul."

Rukia had her memory device out to fix what had happened with Ichigo's classmates, but she gave a start when she heard that he was a mod soul. "Ichigo, Central 46 condemned the project and its results. You have to destroy him." Ichigo ignored Rukia, and addressed Kon.

"Alright, why the crazy actions then? I saw the torn up fence, and you insulted a number of my friends. Why do all that?" Kon momentarily seemed to be ashamed, but he still gave an answer. "I've never been in a body before, I was so excited to do things that I guess I went overboard. Please, if you spare me I promise I won't do it again."

Ichigo stood still a minute, then nodded his head. "Alright, Kon. I'll put you somewhere and you'll have a body. I'll carry your pill around or let you use my body sometimes while I kill Hollows. All you need to do is promise not to ruin my reputation and protect my sisters when I'm away." Kon nodded his head rapidly, ecstatic to be left alive.

Ichigo returned to his body and pocketed Kon's pill form, Uryu signing for Ched to let him go. Rukia used her device to erase all their memories, save Uryu's. He was too strong for her device. The rest of the day passed incident free, Ichigo spotted a lion plushie in a store as he walked home. Two dollars American later, and Kon had his new body. Rukia had told him that his idea would never work and that he was an idiot, but he got a good chuckle while Kon groped her in his new body.

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The last few days since buying Kon had been rather uneventful, few Hollows and fewer Pluses needing Konso than Ichigo had seen since becoming a Shinigami. Which was odd, as a number of deaths were reported, but Ichigo couldn't find their souls. He suspected a Hollow, but neither he nor Rukia's phone had sensed one. He hoped that he would figure out everything that was going on today, maybe this Hollow was just good at hiding or something.

Chad had yet to show up today, the first time since Ichigo met him that he hadn't been right on time for school. "Ichigo, how do I get the juice out of this thing? There aren't any instructions." Rukia's whining about her juicebox returned Ichigo from his thoughts. Seriously, why did he even put up with her. "If you don't tell me how to do this I'll stop teaching you Kido!" Oh right, because she might be irritating, but she was useful and occasionally friendly.

"Poke the sharp end of your straw into the silver part on top, that's how." The door to the roof opened and Ichigo saw a heavily bandage Chad walk up with a bird in a cage. "Hey Ichigo, sorry I'm late." "It's fine Chad, now how did this happen?" Chad was very quiet, never speaking more than necessary, and often less. "He was a gift."

If Ichigo had thought Chad would be fine before, he was worried now. "I'm talking about the bandages, not the bird! Seriously, I see the bandage on your head, you don't have a concussion do you?" Chad shook his head, he thought the bird was more important than the bandages. "Oh, a steel beam fell on my head and I got hit by a motorcycle, that's why I'm late."

"The mister helped me, he's really nice." All thoughts of Chad's injuries were banished as the parakeet spoke. 'Wait, I know that birds can mimic voices and words, but that was context specific. He was really talking to us!' Keigo was just as surprised, though his thoughts didn't included Pluses or Hollows. "Whoa, that bird can talk for real, awesome!"

"Yeah, my name is Shibata, nice to meet you." Ichigo managed to ignore the bird for the rest of lunch, instead figuring out whether to Konso it now or later. If he did it now Chad would be safe. If he kept a close eye on Chad and did it later, he could protect him when the Hollow appeared and cleanse the town more easily. The only person he thought able to survive a Hollow better than Chad in his class would have been Uryu, so he could manage to keep Chad safe and kill the Hollow.

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Ichigo had stayed after class for the first time in a while. The extra-credit Ochi-sensei gave him was enough to cover his absences, which now that Kon was allowed to take over in class having shaped up, was balancing his grades back out. He was keeping watch on Chad using his ability to sense reiatsu, but so far there was nothing wrong with him.

He noticed a fluctuation in Chad's reiatsu, which oddly began heading for his house. He began running home as well, hoping that his risky decision wouldn't hurt his friend. 'Damn it! I should have just performed Konso on the bird earlier, not taken a risk betting on Chad's durability! If I had at least told him, that would have been better.'

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When Ichigo returned to the clinic he saw Chad's bird in a corner and his sisters in their nurse uniforms. "Onii-chan! The boy in there said he's your friend, Dad's helping him right now." He dashed into the room that his father was examining Chad in, just in time to catch the description of Chad's worst injury.

"You got hit by a car, and this weird burn on your back makes it look like you got stomped on by a dinosaur. The fact that you're alive and relatively stable is a shock in itself, but chances are you'll pass out once the adrenaline runs its course." Ichigo hadn't even felt the Hollow, just Chad taking a hit. Somehow this one was sneaky, and able to strike and fade away too fast for him to find.

"I… look like a dinosaur stepped on me?" Even Chad was capable of being surprised, it was just uncommon. "Dad, do you mind stepping out? I need to talk with Chad about something" Isshin gave one of his best wounded looks to his son, but walked out anyway. He was smarter than he often let on.

"Chad, you were attacked. That bird has a human soul trapped in it, and a Hollow is either targeting it or using it to lure in more victims. I know this sounds crazy, but you have to believe me. I can send on the soul of the boy inside it." Chad shook his head no, having grown rather close to the boy during their couple days together. Ichigo let it go, deciding he'd talk to Chad in the morning when he was thinking clearer.

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"Wake Up Ichigo!" Ichigo managed to launch a punch as he was rudely awoken the next morning, knocking the wind out of Rukia. "Sorry, thought you were my dad." Rukia pondered for a moment why Ichigo who most definitely didn't care for her would rather hit his dad than her, but then she remembered why she woke him up.

"It doesn't matter, Chad ran off with the bird! We're gonna have to catch him and explain that the boy has to pass." _That _woke Ichigo up. "Alright, let's go. Kon!" Said lion doll showed up and launched a grope/hug at Rukia. He of course thanked her for stepping on him and found himself thrown into Ichigo's body. "Take care of my sisters while I'm gone!"

Kon bowed as Ichigo and Rukia ran out of the house, getting dressed before he headed downstairs to check on his charges. Ichigo stopped abruptly noticing something new. "Rukia, I can feel the bird but I don't sense Chad! I'm gonna track the bird and see if I can find him. You look that way and flex your reiatsu if you find the Hollow or Chad.

He left before she could protest, still feeling guilty about how he hadn't told Chad earlier. Rukia hesitated for a moment, but ran down the path Ichigo had pointed out. She was running for five minutes max before something she had been hoping to avoid showed up. "Heh, Shinigami huh? You lot taste mighty fine, or smell like you would anyway."

Rukia's eyes widened, she ducked before the claw could remove her head. She stood no chance against this Hollow as is, but she needed to at least make it think she was stronger than she was too buy time for Ichigo to show up. "Hado no Yon: Byakurai!" Without an incantation, Rukia needed not fear for her life as she chanted, nor about whether or not it would make a difference.

Her trouble got her a pencil-sized hole in the Hollow's shoulder, and the mask twisted into a look of rage. Rukia was forced to dodge for her life, her pitiful power no more use as she waited for Ichigo to arrive. Just as the Hollow had her cornered, it was launched away from her and Chad stood in its place. "Huh, I hit it." While grateful for the help, Rukia felt ashamed that once more she needed to trust a human to protect her. That was when Chad started throwing random punches at the air.

"It's behind you!" The perfect backstab opportunity was ruined as Chad slammed a backfist into the Hollow's mask, knocking it away again. "You can see it then. Where is it now?" The Hollow had launched into the air while Chad was talking with Rukia, laughing insanely as it flew. "Hehehehahaha! Hit me now you freak!"

"He's about fifteen feet in the air, laughing and insulting us." That was when Chad showed once more that his body didn't care for human limitations, as he ripped a telephone pole out of the ground. Then he slammed it down on the Hollow like a ten ton club. "I got him, right?"

Rukia watched as something launched from the wounded Hollow's mouth and covered Chad. They looked like leeches, which were creatures obviously born in the foul pits of Hell and somehow allowed free to torment the Earth. A high-pitched noise like a violent shriek came from the Hollow's tongue, causing the leeches to explode.

"That's right bitches, now you know why I'm called Shrieker." As he went to fire more at Rukia, a foot caught him in the back of the head, knocking him down yet again. "Rukia, get Chad out of here. I am going to murder this guy painfully, then send the kid on." Rukia nodded, not eager to face glowy mode Ichigo again. It gave her a sunburn.

"So, you killed Shibata's mom, stuffed him in a bird, then tricked a young child into thinking he could get his mom back if he helped you. I don't typically take this personal, since every Hollow is different and a number of them were okay people before terrible things happen to them. You remind me of my mom's death though, so I'm going to hurt you in ways no being can comprehend."

Shrieker laughed, his confidence back up now that there was only one opponent. "You're cocky kid, you won't be the first or last Shinigami I nom on. Besides, you act like I should care about that kid or your sob story. I've been killing for years, I like it. You can-" Ichigo grew bored with Shrieker's monologue and stabbed him where the sun hadn't shone when he was alive.

"What was that? You know only a few animals can hear pitches that high." Ichigo pulled his sword free and cut off one of his foe's legs. Another stab took Shrieker in his stomach, before Ichigo ripped the blade down and out, leaving a gigantic bloody gash. Leeches flew once more from Shrieker's mouth, landing on and around Ichigo.

His tongue never got the chance to use its detonation frequency, however, as Ichigo tore it out when he tried. "You're making a lot of noise, let's see how quiet I can make you." Ichigo finally ended the helpless Hollow, cutting his mask to pieces rather than the quick stabs he had been doing so far. However what happened next was not what Ichigo expected.

A massive gate held shut by a number of chains and skeletal arms rose from the ground behind Shrieker, a cold wind flowing out from it. The chains snapped, and gate opened, an enormous blade shooting out and piercing Shrieker in what remained of his stomach. A sickening orange glow lit from inside, and a figure with an elongated skeletal head pulled the screaming Hollow in, the gates shutting and fading away.

"... Rukia, how come no one told me that there was such a thing as the Gates of Hell. Also, THOSE WERE THE GATES OF HELL! If it weren't an absolute stain on humanity like Shrieker being sent there, I might have felt conflicted." Rukia waited for Ichigo to dim back to normal before she pulled a newly awakened Chad out and answered Ichigo.

"You never asked about Hell, so I didn't tell you. This was the first time I saw them in person myself." Ichigo didn't think that not asking was a good reason to hide the existence of something like this, but he had more important work to do. "Can Chad hear or see me?" Rukia shook her head while Chad looked around confused. "Alright, let's get Shibata to Soul Society then."

Chad accompanied the two Shinigami to Shibata, still reluctant to send the boy on. "It's alright, Chad. He is going to Soul Society, where he belongs. That invisible monster we fought killed him and put his soul in this bird, he needs to pass." Shibata nodded, before speaking to Chad.

"Don't worry, if I go on, I might just find my mom. I'm sure that she's been worried about me, and I really want to see her again. Thank you for all your help. If you ever come to Soul Society, give me a visit." Chad nodded his head slowly, a single "goodbye" floating from his lips. Ichigo waited for Shibata to nod that he was ready, before he put the pommel of his longer blade against his forehead.

"I hope you find your mom in Soul Society. Good luck, Shibata." Thus Shibata's soul moved on to Soul Society where it belonged, and Chad was allowed to keep his knowledge about Hollows. "You know, he is too strong to be a normal human. Chances are that he will unlock some kind of power on his own." Ichigo nodded at Rukia, agreeing with her deduction.

"We'll see. If he does get powers, I'll have some more back up to call in case of a real bad situation." Unknown to Ichigo, a certain shop owner had been able to record everything that had happened, and if his estimations were correct, there would soon be a real bad situation in Karakura.

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"Well Yoruichi my friend, feel like stalking our new young hero for a while?" A black cat looked at Ichigo's image on the screen, grin flaring to life. "I think I'd watch him even if you asked me not to." The man smiled, fan materialising in his hand. "Never thought you would turn out a cougar." Angry red scratches showed on his face afterwards, the feline licking its paw innocently.

"You know better than to mention a lady's age, Kisuke."

**Endnote: Did someone order… Fish Sticks? Because I know Ichigo is hungry, and some deep-sea grilled fish is exactly what he needs. Also, Motherf***ing Kisuke. Seriously, I need him and Jiraiya to meet in an omake or something, they would make such sweet perverted chaos together. Fuinjutsu+Seireitei R&D= Villainous Laughter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I once went 75 straight hours without sleep.**

**Author Note: Someone asked for longer chapters in a PM. I already have a four-thousand word minimum, otherwise the last chapter would have been two separate chapters. If a chapter happens to be longer than average, so be it, but making the chapters longer interferes directly with my own personal writing style. Overall, I simply suck at establishing anything with slow-pacing. Also all of my writing is written and published same-day, with no outlining. Anyway, thanks to KazumaKaname, Arrankor, hornet07, mugetsudude, pyrohellgunner, Becool258, innocent94, 8579, Rosco Peeko Trane, Consort of Chaos, TheliteraryJourneyman, badconman, yoruichifan, and banesith777 for reviewing.**

"Rukia, I'm gonna need you to help Uryu cover my duties tomorrow. This is non-negotiable." Ichigo had gotten a better handle on the connection between his emotions and powers, so he no longer lit up like the Vegas Strip when he was irritated. His tone was similar to how he had spoken when Rukia first attempted to threaten him into doing her job.

"What?! Ichigo, this isn't something you can just take time off of! Your cousin is a Quincy, he could destroy hundreds of souls covering for you!" Rukia had gotten more comfortable talking back to Ichigo, his glowing bursts and angry scowl diminishing in frequency.

"Uryu doesn't destroy Hollows, he drives them off and protects the nearby souls. There is no avoiding this, I won't be here tomorrow." Ichigo was getting irritated already, he just hoped that she wouldn't push him for more information. It wasn't something he liked to discuss.

"No Ichigo, just send Kon wherever you're going. You have a duty to protect the populace and send Pluses where they belong. Shinigami don't get vacation." Maybe she shouldn't keep pushing, Ichigo did have a tendency to get angry easily. He was disciplined and worked through his anger, but his temper was something that didn't just go away.

"Rukia, tomorrow my family goes to my mother's gravesite. It's the anniversary of her death. She was killed by a Hollow, I realized when Uryu told me about them. If I see a Hollow tomorrow, it will die, and it is likely that everything in the general vicinity will go with it. I'm not going to just send Kon, and if you want to have a place to live, you'll stop talking about this. After all, you could have handed me your sword and I still would have killed that first Hollow, you'd still have your powers that way."

Rukia wasn't sure if she should be ashamed about bringing up something so painful for Ichigo, or about the fact that this problem was of her own fault for being careless and not thinking about Ichigo's Reiatsu before forcing powers on him. "Just tell Uryu yourself, he hates me. I'll just follow you in case a Hollow appears near the cemetery."

Ichigo nodded, having Uryu spend time with Rukia was probably a bad idea, and no matter how much he hated to admit it, the girl was one of his friends now. Alright, I'll just send him a text. He'll also have to pick up my homework for me, but that doesn't really matter."

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The next day, Ichigo and his family left for the cemetery. Uryu was covering Karakura Town to the best of his ability, something he did fairly regularly anyway. Of course, the one day Ichigo wasn't in town was also the one day with literally zero Hollow activity, leaving Uryu incredibly bored as he patrolled the town. Typically, he got to escort a few souls to safety and take potshots at a few Hollows when he went out, but today there was nothing.

"I almost wish that some Hollow would show up just to relieve me of my boredom. Seriously, I fight more Hollows when Ichigo is in town than I am now, and he actually kills them. I wonder if anyone ever tried to make Quincy arrows work like Zanpakutou and purify souls rather than destroy them?" A blonde man working on something in his shop sneezed and dropped a screwdriver on his foot, cursing and hopping up and down in pain.

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Ichigo walked up the hill to his mother's grave carrying a picnic basket that Yuzu had prepared. It had been tradition to eat lunch at the site itself, one meal with Masaki every year. Ichigo was lost in thought, his Shinigami powers altering him from his usual depressed mood to nearly anticipatory. 'Don't worry Mom, this'll be the last time before I free you. You'll get the chance for a new life, and that demon will hopefully be the second one I send to Hell.'

"Ichigo! Your sisters are talking to you!" For the first time in two years, Isshin actually landed a blow on his son. Yuzu went from worried about Ichigo's angry expression to angry herself that her father would hit her precious 'Onii-chan' today.

"Why did you hit him?! He was distracted, you yelled, and could have shaken his shoulder or something, but instead you just punched him! I don't even get why you do that at home, but when we're going to see mom? What do you think she'd say?!" Isshin starred as the kinder of his two daughters dressed him down. That Yuzu would do that almost made him feel guilty.

"I haven't hit him in over two years, how was I supposed to know that he would randomly lose his ability to dodge my hits even when he was distracted? I can't even hit him in his sleep!" Ichigo just stood back up and checked the food while father and daughter continued to argue. Thinking about that night was the only thing that took him so far out of consciousness that he wouldn't notice the people around him.

"I'm alright, Yuzu. Let Goat-chin revel in his short-lived victory. After all, he's been on a two-year losing streak." Ichigo smiled and looked at his sister while his father began crying about his son being an arrogant delinquent and a heartbreaker. Normally he would be proud of the second one, but Ichigo firmly explained that he hadn't done anything with the many girls interested in him, saying that the few he actually talked to reminded him too much of his sisters to do anything with.

Ichigo turned and noticed a black cat following him and his family up the hill, it meowed at him when he dropped a small piece of fish from the basket for it. The cat stood and ate while Ichigo walked away, oddly lost in its own thoughts. 'I didn't think that Isshin would regularly hit his own son, even in the name of training. Whatever he was thinking about when he got hit wasn't pleasant either, though I suppose visiting the grave of someone close to you is never a pleasant outing." Finished, Yoruichi continued to follow her target, hoping to learn more about him.

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"Damn it Kon, stop trying to grope me! We are in this place for a solemn reason, and it's bad enough you do this already!" Kon hadn't been trying to grope Rukia for about five minutes at this point anyway, she was just still stomping on him. It was oddly therapeutic to be so much stronger than something. She had been a disappointment to her brother by failing to become a seated officer, and she had been a disappointment to herself by failing when it came to the Hollow that attacked Ichigo's family.

"Well, well… If it isn't Kuchiki Rukia. We've been looking for you a while now. So tell me, what's with the Gigai?" Rukia spun to face the voice, her skin paling as she saw his Shihakusho. "Don't tell me you're surprised, you had to know that we would get curious if you were late to return. You've been due back for a week now, and the Kuchiki's have a lot of pull."

"If it's my brother that sent for me, why are you from squad two? I hardly think that he would willingly speak with anyone from the Onmitsukido." The man smiled, she was better than he had heard to be able to tell squad without a visible insignia. That was dangerous, and a fight might be some decent fun if she was better at everything, and not just observant.

"You know how it works, the clan elders say 'oh, hasn't Rukia been gone awhile?' and the Sotaicho says 'Soifon-taicho, send your best and handsomest agent after her!'. Or something similar to that at any rate. Now, what exactly is keeping you here, you're not going native on us, are you?" Not that he honestly thought a noble would be so insane as to abandon their duties as Shinigami for a human, but it _was_ possible. He twitched as he heard a sneeze coming up the hill from them.

Suddenly, a massive reiatsu significantly higher than his appeared, and a glowing figure same from the bushes. "Rukia! Who is this and why is he here? You didn't mention that you were bringing company." Ichigo's voice was cold as the grave, despite the fake smile he showed to the newcomer. He wore the uniform, but Ichigo didn't sense much if any power in him. That could mean one of two things. First, he was weak. Second, he was good at hiding. Both was likely, but he wasn't well practiced against stealth opponents.

Rukia noticed that Ichigo was in full Shihakusho, and that Kon had slipped away while she was talking to the Onmitsukido member. "Official business kid, now return to your sector before I right you up as an accomplice." Rukia was making hand gestures to 'quit it' at Ichigo as the man glared at him. Ichigo's response was to increase his pressure and blind anyone dumb enough to look at him.

"I don't know who you are, but this is a private occasion, and I don't recall inviting any weirdo's with straw hats. Now back away, or I'll do more than just glow at you." Rukia honestly thought that the glowing was enough, but then again, she couldn't fight back. Her reiatsu should have been restored weeks ago, but so far there seemed to be no change. If anything, she felt weaker.

"Eikichiro Saido, member of squad two. Kuchiki Rukia has exceeded her allotted time for duty stationed in the world of the living. I am to discover why, and return her to the Seireitei. Now let me take her before I haul in two traitors." Ichigo almost laughed. Rukia had told him that anyone that actually had a seat as an officer would reveal in their introduction. This guy threatening him was practically cannon fodder.

"Kuchiki-san is disabled at the moment, and is waiting for her powers to regenerate, I am covering her duty shift at this time. Take her back when she gets better." Saido eyed Ichigo, his suspicions rising. He hadn't heard about any new dual wielders, the only two in existence currently captains. This guy facing him had vast energy, but he didn't think he was quite a captain yet. Aside from that, he was obviously young, and had orange hair. None of those were descriptions he'd heard of a new Shinigami.

"I graced you with my name boy, perhaps you could honor me with the same before I leave." Ichigo knew this was bait, but he didn't see where it could harm him. He was an unknown, and he doubted that a society that had yet to invent the juicebox could search databases for him.

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, substitute Shinigami. Upon death, I'm looking for a promotion to full time." Might as well have some fun with the guy, after all, chances were a fight was about to break out.

"Substitute, huh? You know that is highly illegal. Looks like I'm gonna have to bring you both in!" Saido dashed at Ichigo, stabbing with his wakizashi. Ichigo deflected the strike with his katana, and returned a slash at Saido's legs. He struck a light blow through the cloth and flicked some blood off the edge of his blade. Rather than follow up with a physical attack, Ichigo took advantage of the situation and let fly a surprise attack.

"Hado no Sanjuuichi, Shakkaho!" A red ball of flames leapt from the tip of his sword and exploded against Saido's hasty guard. Ichigo had discovered during his training that it was just as easy to channel the energy of his Kido through his swords as his hands, something that pleased him as he used two swords in conjunction.

Kido was not what Saido was expecting. Rukia had broken more laws than simply transferring powers, which was not typically severely punished despite the illegality of the act. Of course, it hadn't happened for nearly five hundred years, so that might have changed slightly. Teaching Kido to someone not officially accepted by the Academy was paramount to selling state secrets. Approximately, it had been years since the Shinigami had enemies that could use their secrets.

"Not only are you fast and strong, but you have skills with your swords and can cast spells. You must be some form of prodigy to be able to fight so well so fast. I bet you even know Shikai already!" Ichigo stared at Saido without giving any of his thoughts away. 'What the Hell is Shikai?! I don't recall Rukia or Uryu talking about it, so it must be some form of secret more important than Kido. Guess I know what to get Rukia to tell me about next."

"You aren't strong enough to waste it on. Now leave, or continue to get the shit stomped out of you. Your choice." Saido didn't show any signs of surrender. 'Damn! I don't want to kill someone just doing their job to bring in lawbreakers, but I'm not just gonna let him take Rukia.' Luckily, Kon arrived in Ichigo's body.

"Ichigo, there's a Hollow attacking your sisters! It's too strong, I only managed to lead him away, but I think he might have gone back after them! Hurry, it's at the grave!" Ichigo paid no more attention to his former opponent as he dashed to his mother's grave. 'NO! You won't take them to, monster!'

Rukia and Kon followed, Saido running beside them. "Don't think that this is over, as soon as my report reaches those in charge you'll be pulled back in chains." Rukia ignored him, she already knew what would happen, and Ichigo would most likely get involved.

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Back at the gravesite, Yuzu was in the hamster like Hollow's grasp, as Karin lay stunned looking up at the creature. "Yuzu! Karin! Hold on!" Karin looked and saw her brother wearing an odd uniform as he dashed past her and swung his blade at the arm holding their sister. Another copy of her brother grabbed her and followed after the first, catching Yuzu as it dropped her and running away.

"Another Shinigami fool looking to become my food, what luck. You will make lucky number seven in the last fifty years. Hah!" Tendrils of hair launched from the creature's body at Ichigo, who dodged or deflected every blow that came for him. He weaved from side-to-side dodging claw swipes, countering with his katana, his wakizashi too short to use at his current range.

"Hado no Yon, Byakurai!" Pale lightning burned a hole through the creature's shoulder, smoke coming from the hole. It screamed in pain as it looked at Ichigo, a wicked gleam entering its eyes. As more tendrils attacked Ichigo, it began to chuckle, recognizing something that Ichigo hadn't.

"Ichigo, that Hollow is Grand Fisher! No Shinigami that has fought it has survived, it's just too crafty. Be careful!" Grand Fisher laughed as Ichigo launched another Kido at him, this one missing him completely.

"Don't listen to her, I'm harmless!" Grand Fisher contradicted his words as he kept lashing out at a furious Ichigo. Attacking the glowing target was beginning to get hard on the Hollow's eyes though, so it decided to use the ace up its sleeve.

"Ichigo-kun, why are you so upset?" The glow died abruptly as Ichigo turned to the voice, unable to stop himself. "Mom? But… I saw, you were killed!" Ichigo's reasoning left him quickly as he saw something he had never expected to once again. Kurosaki Masaki smiling at him, her voice just as gentle as he remembered.

"Didn't I always tell you that seeing spirits was a gift? It gave you this chance after all. Come give your mother a hug, Ichigo-kun." His body reacting on its own, Ichigo moved towards his mother, a tendril ignored as it went through his shoulder. He was too focused on her to notice anything else, until he looked her in the eye.

All at once, the glow which had dimmed before was twice as bright, shining so harshly none could look. A scream of rage left Ichigo, his sword cutting straight through the thing speaking with his mother's voice. Another scream, this one far higher, and of pain came from Grand Fisher, before it was cut off by the gurgling of blood.

Saido and Rukia's eyes adjusted to the increased light, showing a horrific sight. Ichigo was chopping Grand Fisher into pieces, his yells increasing every time he struck. The Hollow itself was attempting to flee, but Ichigo once again used one of his blades to pin it to the ground. Even Shrieker hadn't suffered so much before Ichigo ended him.

What had been a battle to protect his sisters had changed into little more than butchery, the Hollow gurgling in pain as it struggled to escape. Ichigo lit his blade with Kido once more, cruelly flickering yellow static along the blade. He stabbed it into Grand Fisher, electrocuting him as he struck onc final blow. What was left of the Hollow evaporated, the rain washing its blood from Ichigo.

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Three hours later, Rukia walked up to Ichigo as he sat in the same position he had been when he killed the Hollow, rain no longer falling. "You avenged your mother, Ichigo, and more importantly, freed her soul. You should be happy, not… lifeless like you are right now." Ichigo slowly shook his head, responding only after he finished gathering his thoughts.

"I butchered that creature, Rukia. I enjoyed it. I feel like I'm still covered in its blood, a thousand times more than when I watched Shrieker go to Hell. Even worse, when I realized what Hollow this was, I forgot what I was fighting for. She would be ashamed."

Rukia looked down at Ichigo, wishing she knew what he was going through. He had warmed up to her, and now it was almost like she was his newest sister. Sometimes that veneer fell away, and once more they were co workers, but for the most part, he was closer to her than her adoptive brother.

"I was told that my name means 'to protect one thing'. When I was young, I told my mom that I would get strong and protect her. After she was killed, I worked myself over until my body ached every day, so that I could keep the sem from befalling my sisters. Today, I forgot myself and fought for the sole purpose of destroying the thing that killed my mother. I forgot that I was protecting Yuzu and Karin, and went berserk. I tortured a creature that had no choice in its afterlife, the lack of Hell gates suggest that Grand Fisher wasn't even evil before his death."

Ichigo sighed before continuing his story. "Uryu helped me, taught me about my powers and introduced me to Soken, who helped me manifest and control them. Soken was killed by Hollows as well, the Shinigami that were supposed to guard the 'Last Quincy' arriving after he had already fought for over three hours. He was a kind, wise man, he told me once, when I first considered revenge, someone that was a little different than the old saying about it. He told me 'The best way to wreck your vengeance is to live on and thrive. Prove that you are stronger in spirit, and recover from your wounds. Violent revenge does nothing but wound yourself again, and this time only you will be to blame.' I didn't see any wisdom in what he said at the time, but I think maybe I understand now.

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Yoruichi sat and listened in a nearby tree, astounded by just how mature Ichigo was for a fifteen year old. She watched as small tears escaped him as he talked about his name and his mother, and a million other little things after he finished explaining Soken's philosophy. She wasn't going to tell Urahara about this conversation, she felt wrong just by being there. She couldn't bring herself to leave, however. Despite how hard he tried to hide it, she could feel his pain.

She noticed his family approaching as Rukia left, and came up with a way to better watch her charge. She was going to help him, and Kisuke didn't have any say in how. 'His name means to protect one thing, but right now, he needs more protection than any of his friends.' Her plan settled, Yoruichi ran up to the youngest of the Kurosaki family, purring and rubbing against Yuzu's leg.

"Awww, aren't you so cute! Hey, weren't you the cat that Onii-chan snuck food to?" Yoruichi continued purring and being catlike, hoping that this wasn't some error in judgement. Yuzu bent and picked Yoruichi up, making puppy-eyes at her father as he tried to tell her that they couldn't keep it. Yoruichi ran to Ichigo and sat in his lap the moment Yuzu let her down, knowing that the purring of a cat actually helped people that were grieving.

"So, you're back? I don't have any more food you know." Yoruichi ignored his voice and rubbed her face in his hands. His rather big and very strong hands. 'No Yoruichi! He thinks you're a cat and right now it stays that way! Besides, he's like… a lot younger than you!' Even in her own mind she had trouble admitting her age. Besides, in Seireitei terms she was still only a college student age wise in comparison to Ichigo.

"We're gonna keep her Onii-chan! She's real friendly, and it looks like you're already her favorite." Ichigo looked up at Yuzu and smiled, his venting and this animals affection helping to free him from his foul mood. He just needed to remember that he had protected his sisters, and that when he wasn't there for them, he had Kon to help out. Isshin almost looked upset that Yuzu had decided that the cat was family now, but there was no way he was gonna argue after upsetting her so much earlier.

"That's great Yuzu, but if we're all keeping her she'll need a name, right?" Yoruichi was glad that her alternate form was a cat, that way she didn't need to acknowledge the name they gave her anyway. If she was a dog they would think something was wrong with her for not coming when called. Maybe she would get free fish from Yuzu as snacks, that might make it worth dealing with more than just Ichigo.

"How about Kuroneko? It's pretty simple, and she's not gonna answer to it anyway." Yuzu looked upset that Karin wasn't taking this seriously. Ichigo just sat back and smiled stroking the cat's ears as his sisters discussed the new animal.

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"Aizen-sama, Grand Fisher has been killed. This report by the Onmitsukido member explains that one Kurosaki Ichigo destroyed him after torturing the creature for killing his mother. The boy is far above your projected expectations, apparently someone helped him train in Hakuda, Zanjutsu, and Kido."

Aizen smiled a little as his subordinate gave him a report. "I know Gin, and it's thrilling. Prepare to launch a further test of his prowess. Send someone to lure as many Hollows to Karakura as you can, I want to see him fight at least one Menos by the end of this month."

Gin bowed and walked away, his ear-to-ear smile fading as he left Aizen's sight. 'Maybe this kid will be able to do it, and get your revenge, Rangiku...'

**Endnote: Pretty long AN today, huh? Well, look forward to a meet between the official couple, as I've decided that this will be a single pairing. Also, Menos be coming. We'll be all up in Seireitei by chapter 7. Sorry for the late update, it shouldn't happen again.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I celebrated hitting 60,000 words in my other story with Jameson Irish Whiskey. Best enjoyed sipped slowly.**

**Author Note: 20,000 words in, and counting. Thank everyone who has read, favorited, or followed this story. Special thanks to hornet07, banesith777, Rosco Peeko Trane, mugetsudude, naruhanaI4445, pyrohellgunner, 8579, Mexican ninja1996, rogueranger1993, Arrankor, and Acolyte of the Blood Moon. I would give special thanks to everyone that followed and favorited, but I don't have the room, especially with over 150 favorites. Without further ado, Chapter Cinco.**

Ichigo had been having a bad few days. Starting about a week after he freed his mother's soul, Hollow activity in Karakura had shot up to several alerts per day. He would arrive in class during the morning and notice that Uryu had bags under his eyes and was moving sluggishly, proof that Ichigo wasn't the only one being overworked.

On the homefront, he could barely sleep because the family's new 'Kuroneko-chan!' insisted on sleeping in his bed every night. That wouldn't be a problem normally, but she constantly tried to make biscuits on his chest. It was uncomfortable, and she purred loudly while doing so. He wanted to kick the cat out of his room, but it would just sit and scratch his door and meow until he let her back in. Well, Yuzu would get up and let the cat in his room, but the result was the same.

Ichigo sighed as he saw Rukia catch his eye, even more irritated as he once more swallowed Kon. Tatsuki, Chad, and Orihime all saw him leave, while Uryu didn't even turn to look at him. His powers had become so common that it would take daily mind erasings to avoid knowledge of his abilities, which was considered unhealthy.

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Ichigo didn't even bother to act like he was trying to kill these cannon fodder anymore. The moment that he saw his targets, balls of fire and blasts of lightning incinerating the many creatures. His sword rarely left his sheath when he fought Hollows anymore. Only the more powerful beasts suffered his blades, the rest were merely bombarded with spells of splash damage.

"Ichigo!" Ichigo turned and saw Uryu dashing at him with his bow powered up and arrows flashing. A Hollow that had escaped Ichigo's original attack leapt back from the barrage of gleaming projectiles, narrowly missing Ichigo's chest with it's claws. "Just cause you outclass everything in a ten mile radius doesn't mean you should stop being cautious!" Ichigo finished off the last Hollow and turned to his cousin, neither of them looking one hundred percent.

"I know, Uryu. There have been so many lately that I'm having trouble keeping my focus. I think my powers might be leaking again, Chad can see me to now. If this continues, I don't know what we can do." Uryu nodded, knowing that the two of them weren't enough to fight this many Hollows consistently. Hopefully, the sheer numbers they had brought down this week would mean that the Hollow attacks would return to normal, otherwise, Ichigo would need to send for back up from the Gotei 13, and neither of them was looking forward to that conversation.

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"He's tired, Kisuke. There have been too many Hollows, and since you aren't helping, it was guaranteed that his energy would flag eventually. Seriously, weren't you working on a project to help him out when I joined his household?" Ichigo's laptop was currently in use as a black cat chatted with a mad scientist over Skype. This was actually a common occurrence when Ichigo was away.

"I _am_ working on something that will help, and you know I can't let the Sotaicho know where I am by killing Hollow's directly. Seriously, the kid has more raw power than half of the lieutenants, and enough stamina to regenerate it than anyone I've ever seen. I wouldn't be surprised if he makes the next Kenpachi." Yoruichi gained eyebrows just long enough for them to twitch at the implied insinuation.

"Ichigo isn't some bloodthirsty maniac, he's a man with a noble spirit and a desire to protect people. Seriously, why did you suggest I pretend to be his pet and live here if I'm not allowed to follow him when he's out there?" Yoruichi knew she was being louder than necessary, but she'd had the forethought to stuff a pillow in the crack under the door and lock it, so no one should hear anything, and if they did, they couldn't come in anyway.

"He's a child Yoruichi, not a man. He has a lot of time left to change, and you are watching him at his house and not following him because you might change form and kill a Hollow to keep it from wounding him. We aren't trying to reveal ourselves before we're ready." Kisuke sighed as he answered. His own research into the subject of Ichigo had revealed something that Yoruichi had been the final proof of.

While many women liked him, he was intimidating and acted apathetic. At home, his sisters both viewed Ichigo as essentially the greatest man ever. His few friends were all fiercely loyal to him, and the pluses he met trusted him inherently. The final conclusion from this evidence was that Ichigo had a magnetic personality. His fierce determination and loyalty, the hard work he put in at everything he did, and the rare glimpses of the kind person under the rugged exterior drew people in, and Yoruichi was already under those same effects.

"No one that does what he does can be called a child Kisuke. If it was still Rukia wielding the power when this happened, Karakura would be totally at the mercy of these Hollows by now. I'm going to follow him out soon, and if a Hollow is going to get a lucky strike on him, I'll stop it. You're viewing him like he's your latest experiment, not like he's the one with the potential to fix this mess." Yoruichi hung up before Kisuke could respond, and fixed the room to the way it was before the call. Couldn't have Ichigo realize his cat could move his stuff.

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"Gin." Said silver-haired man walked up to the man that called his name, smile splitting his face. "Today is going to be the day. Send in what's left of the weaklings you caught and wait for their defeat. When they are gone, and little Ichigo thinks the day is won, send in that Gillian. Make sure that the stronger of the weak Hollows target those close to him."

"You got it Aizen-sama. Today's the day we find out if you're little pet project is as far ahead of schedule as he seems." Aizen simply made a dismissive hand gesture, watching a screen that showed Ichigo being saved by the intervention of his Quincy cousin.

"He's not the only one to test." Gin walked away when no further answers came. Apparently Aizen was lost in thought about some of the others close to Ichigo. The screen segmented as Gin left the room, showing pictures of Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, Karin, Yuzu, and Uryu. A large picture of Ichigo glowing as he killed Grand Fisher filled the center of the screen, all others angled to be looking up to him.

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Things in Karakura town were getting chaotic. A horde of lesser Hollows had appeared, and Ichigo was having trouble facing the horde alone. "Uryu! Aim to kill, the town will fall if these things overwhelm us. The Hollows are too weak to have consumed any souls but their own, but there are too many to fight them like this." Uryu nodded, and shifted his aim from the extremities and other nonfatal areas to the heads and hearts of the Hollows he was fighting.

"This is the first time I've ever used my Hollow-killing powers to kill Hollows, Ichigo. It isn't exactly my idea of fun. Next time we hang out, let's hope there's no random horde, eh?" Ichigo chuckled lowly, firing repeated blasts of red flame from the end of his blade. "You figure out its name yet?" Uryu fired a dozen arrows at the same time, ending a dozen Hollows.

"Not yet, I think that the fact someone else's power awakened mine means I must wait until her power leaves my body to speak with my Zanpakutou." A larger Hollow appeared, gunning straight down at Uryu. He fired a far larger than usual arrow, but this Hollow was different. Its whole body was covered in the same white bone-like substance as its mask, and the plates were angled to deflect piercing and edged attacks. Another six arrows glanced off its body, none doing more than enraging the beast.

"Hado no Gojuuhachi, **Tenran!**" Ichigo's katana levitated and spun in front of him, before he stopped it and released a horizontal tornado at the large Hollow. Its armor did nothing to stop the blunt force of the wind, nor did it resist the pommel of Ichigo's wakizashi shattering its mask. "You told me that there are other Quincy weapons, and that it is possible to make a stronger bow. Maybe you should look into doing such, if more Hollows like this one show up it could save your life."

Uryu nodded slightly, before refocusing his aim on the horde above them, firing arrows as rapidly and accurately as he could, demolishing Hollow after Hollow with his skill. Ichigo began engaging the Hollows that had reached the ground during the battle with the larger one, slaying them with his blades to avoid collateral damage.

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Chad was running. Giant beasts had started pouring from the sky, and the only one he knew capable of killing them was Ichigo. He turned and ran up a hill, hoping to at least get some space away from others if he had to stall it. When he crested the hill, his heart stopped. He had led the creature straight to Ichigo's little sister. If he didn't protect her, he would never be able to look Ichigo in the eye again.

"Everybody run!" Karin shouted, seeing the monster following her brother's friend. Her friends all assumed that they were supposed to run from the giant that was staring at them and panting, and followed orders admirably. "Duck!" Chad knew that this time he was the target, and did as commanded. A large claw flew over his head, his attacker roaring in anger when he dodged.

He dashed toward Karin, as the Hollow had shifted targets to her after passing Chad. He managed to jump in and cover her with his body, taking the Hollow's claws and ruining his shirt. Karin stepped back in horror, looking at the large gashes in Chad's back when he turned to face the Hollow. "You won't harm her, I made a promise to a friend of mine. I will protect that which is precious to Ichigo!"

A blue light engulfed Chad's right arm as he shouted, Karin covering her eyes. When it faded, Chad's arm was different. It was mostly black with odd blue and purple markings, and an extended piece above his shoulder. "Huaaaagh!" Chad launched a haymaker at the surprised entity, connecting with its chin. Rather than simply send it flying back as expected, a massive blue energy blast followed Chad's punch, blowing the Hollow's head off entirely, before it rapidly broke down.

Chad stood panting for a few moments, before he fell over unconscious. His arm reverted to its previous look, as Karin began shouting for help. A clacking sound made its way to her ears, and she turned to find the source. A blonde man wearing a bucket hat and traditional geta made his way to Chad, turning and showing a grin to the young girl.

"Don't worry Kurosaki-san, I'll take care of him." Before she could ask how this stranger knew her name, her eyes began drooping. Seconds later she had fallen over as well, unable to stand up to whatever was driving her to sleep. Two children around her age, a red-headed boy and dark-haired girl, walked up to Kisuke.

"Jinta, Ururu, take her back to her home. Wipe this from her memory, and meet back up with me at the high school. There'll be more work to do there for sure…" The two children nodded and took Karin home, while Kisuke's hand glew with a small healing kido to stitch the cuts together. "Tessai, pick up Yasutora-san and bring him to the shop for healing." Without waiting for a response, Kisuke headed to Karakura High, knowing that more targets would be there.

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Yuzu was outside playing with her precious 'Kuroneko-chan!' when she heard an odd rumbling noise. She looked around and froze the moment she saw it. Some huge creature shaped like a giant raptor with a skull for its head was looking at her, walking slowly towards her. She began whimpering, too afraid to call louder or run. She wished her dad or brother were there, they could help her.

Yoruichi noticed Yuzu freeze when she saw the Hollow, and cursed her luck. Kisuke had plainly told her not to resume her real form or fight any Hollows while at Ichigo's, but there was no way she would just let his little sister die. She escaped Yuzu's embrace and ran at the Hollow, stopping when there was about ten feet separating them.

That was enough to snap Yuzu out of her frozen state, worried about the cat that she had instantly decided was family, even if Ichigo was obviously its favorite. "Get out of here Kuroneko-chan! We need to hide or find Onii-chan!" Yoruichi found the amount of faith that Yuzu had in Ichigo sweet, even though the girl didn't know her brother regularly destroyed creatures like this single-handed.

"That won't be necessary. I can handle this." Yoruichi's body exploded in a flash of smoke and light, revealing a sight that would arouse just about anyone that could be. Long, well toned legs leading up to a completely exposed and perfectly formed ass. A narrow waist, firm abs, and a large bust topped the already incredible features visible. All of the woman's skin was the color of mocha, a beautiful and rich tan.

Yuzu looked up at the smiling face of this woman that had replaced her cat, stunned even more by this than the giant monster that had been walking toward them. A kind face with a large, teasing smile looked back at her, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Her eyes were golden, and contrasted breathtakingly with her long, untamed purple hair.

"Kuroneko-chan, are you a Goddess?" Wonderful laughter broke from Yoruichi's lips, a sound that was incredibly calming. The teasing smile kept up, the monster having stopped in confusion with the odd change.

"You could say that, Yuzu-chan, though I already had a name before I came here. I'm Shihouin Yoruichi, and I came here because of your brother. Ichigo is so noble and just, I just had to meet him in person. I decided that I would look after you and your sister for him, a reward for his good deeds." Yuzu wasn't dumb, but she was a little naive. Plus, she had just seen this beautiful woman change from being a cat. She took Yoruichi's words at face value, and gave a big smile.

"Now, Yuzu-chan, I'm going to protect you while Ichigo's away. He has more monsters to fight than just this one." Yoruichi had disappeared before her last sentence was finished, and seconds later the large creature did as well. Its face cracked, and the creature dispersed into what looked like dust, blown away on slight breeze. When Yuzu looked back to where the monster had been, there was only her cat sitting there, giving her a wink.

"Oh Kurone- I mean Yoruichi-sama, you'll be perfect for Onii-chan. None of those other girls that liked him were good enough, but you're a Goddess and super strong, I bet he'll be really happy when you show him who you really are." Yoruichi almost blushed at Yuzu's suggestion. She was just glad that the memory eraser would likely still work and remove the idea of a Goddess marrying Ichigo from Yuzu's mind.

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Kisuke cursed to himself quietly. Things weren't going well at Karakura High. A Hollow with the ability to control those it struck using odd seed-like projectiles was facing off against Orihime. Tatsuki had been struck already, and was marching at her friend with tears in her eyes. Kisuke couldn't risk direct involvement in an outbreak like this, his years of planning and hiding from Seireitei would be for nothing if he was caught before Aizen was exposed.

"Let Tatsuki-chan go! Stop hurting her, she's crying!" The Hollow just laughed, enjoying the clear suffering on the faces of her strongest victim and new prey. Just as Tatsuki launched a punch at Orihime, a shield materialized in front of the girl, stopping Tatsuki completely.

"What! How did you do that, Human?" The Hollow was incensed, somehow a human had used reiatsu to form a shield and stop the attack of one of her minions. A whirlwind whipped up around the area that Orihime and Tatsuki were in. When it stopped, six little fairies surrounded Orihime.

"Ojousama, we are proud to be here for you!" A small blonde fairy with a large smile greeted her. "We are the answer to your greatest desire, the **Shun Shun Rikka**. I am Shun'o, and the others are Ayame, who assists me in using your healing shield, the **Soten Kisshun**, Tsubaki, who uses the **Koten Zanshun**, a cutting attack, and Lily, Hinagiku, and Baigon, who use the defense that protected you now, the **Santen Kesshun**. Anytime you need our help, simply say the names of those used in a technique, the technique name, and the phrase 'I Reject!'.

Orihime could practically feel her head spinning from the rapidfire introduction and instructions, but she was a top five student in her school, so she had understood it. "Got it. **Soten Kisshun, I Reject!** Heal Tatsuki-chan!" The two spirits involved went to work, removing any evidence that Tatsuki had been injured at all today.

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What happened next was not something Kisuke expected. He had assumed that Orihime would gain powers just as Chad did, but not what would happen when Tatsuki came to. Green light enclosed her Karate Gi. It faded to reveal her in a light battle-dress. The knees, elbows, and knuckles all bore spikes, that fairly dripped with a substance the same color as the light that had enveloped her.

"Fullbring? I thought that only those who had suffered attacks from Hollows when young could… Acidwire! The attack from Acidwire and the massive pressure Ichigo released when he fought him must have empowered her like it did Orihime. Hell, the acid dripping from those spikes is a pretty good indicator exactly where that power came from. She gained power far more rapidly than previous Fullbring experience would attest, must be because of all the exposure to Ichigo's power she's gotten."

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"Tatsuki-chan, you look like a superhero! Oh, after we beat this monster let's get costumes and both be superheroes with my magic fairies! It'll be so coooool!" Tatsuki and the **Shun Shun Rikka** sweatdropped at how Orihime's mood had changed with Tatsuki's returning to health with some weird bonus powers.

"Sure, but first, let's smash this thing." The idea of getting to roam town with Orihime wearing skintight spandex was a great thought no matter who you were, and Tatsuki wasn't going to say no. Orihime's smile mellowed down to normal as the two friends faced the Hollow, it backing away as they did.

"Don't think you'll be getting away after what you've done! **Tsubaki, Koten Zanshun, I Reject!**" Tatsuki pulled one of her fists back, concentrating on the knuckles of her right hand, feeling the burning sensation grow significantly, letting out a scream as she threw a punch.

"**Acid-Heart: Flying Bramble!**" The spikes on her right glove shot out glowing with the odd green liquid that dripped from them, more spike growing and branching along the path that the attack flew down.

"Two humans can't beat me! I am the great Hollow, Nu-" Tsubaki expanded the second he struck the Hollow,cutting it in half. Its body was wrapped up by the green thorns that Tatsuki caused, melted into nothing in a second. Both girls watched as the thorns disappeared, and Tsubaki flew back to Orihime.

"Tatsuki-chan, I'm so glad that you're okay!" Without the stress of combat, Orihime jumped into her friend with a large hug, smashing Tatsuki's face into heaven. Normally, a hug like this would result in a struggle for freedom when given to the tomboy, but this time, she just hugged back. She could feel tears landing in her hair, and she knew that Orihime needed to let out some stress after what they had seen.

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Kisuke walked up to the two of them, joined by Tessai, Ururu, Jinta, and Chad as he walked up to them. "Sorry to ruin the moment ladies, but I think all of you should come to watch Ichigo as he finishes this. Speaking to all of you together would be much preferred to having to visit one at a time, ne?"

Tatsuki and Orihime broke their hug, mildly embarrassed at the way it might have looked. No matter how hot Orihime was, and no matter how much time they spent together, Tatsuki maintained that she was straight. The only one that still tried to say otherwise was Chizuru, and it was that woman's dream for every pretty woman on the planet to be a lesbian.

"Hmm, it seems that the real show is about to start, let's go meet our knight in shining armor." Kisuke laughed at his joke, while the others that didn't remember that Ichigo glowed just looked at him like he was crazy. "Not everyone can be blessed with a decent sense of humor it seems. Anyway, he's at the park." The group followed the blonde, who was currently fanning himself. 'If things get worse, Ichigo might just need their help.'

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The park in the center of town was a war zone. After everyone had evacuated, Ichigo had quit restricting his powers at all. Craters and flaming debris littered its surface, evidence of the massive power that Karakura Town's personal Shinigami wielded. Uryu was behind the lip of a crater firing arrows, as Ichigo sat behind him glowing like a second sun. All the Hollows were blinded by the display, and were fish in a barrel for the spells of the Shinigami and arrows of the Quincy.

"There's no end to them! You demolished half this place when you used that lightning blast, and still their coming!" Uryu's entire left hand was bleeding profusely, the tension that maintain his bow and firing arrows had was too stressing on his body. His right wrist where his bow was stationed had begun dripping blood a few seconds ago, his body's physical make-up unable to take the level of reishi he had gathered.

"Your half right, they are still coming. But their slowing down, we got most of them!" Ichigo was bone-tired. Even his Reiatsu couldn't regenerate as fast as he had been using it, and the **Raikoho** he'd used was imperfect, electrocuting himself as he fired it. He renewed his efforts to blast away the remaining Hollows, rapidly firing bolts of pale lightning from the tips of both blades.

The final Hollow approaching them was pierced by an arrow, destroyed utterly by the pure reishi. "Damn, I got the last kill, but you still beat me, Cousin." Ichigo looked up at Uryu tiredly from where he had sat on the ground, not understanding. "You killed more of them than me, remember? We decided to make it a contest after you hit a dozen Hollows?"

"Hahahaha, huh. I was joking, Uryu, I didn't keep track of my kills." Uryu looked down in defeat, wishing he had claimed to have beaten more just to mess with his cousin. "I'm sure that we were close though, you're bow is practically a can of bug spray against these things." Uryu smirked at Ichigo, sharing in his laughter after a minute. Until a sound like a giant tear in fabric rang throughout the park.

Both of them looked up, seeing a Hollow the size of a large building walking out of a crack in the sky. They looked at each other, before standing defiantly. "Uryu, make sure that no one else is around, I don't think your arrows will be able to pierce this one." The Quincy nodded, but stopped when the rest of the group appeared by them.

"Don't worry, Ichigo, everyone is here. You're the only one that can stop this thing, but we might be able to distract it." Rukia had been picked up on the way, and all of Ichigo's friends looked at him, powers inactive. "They are all fine, and even managed to kill a few Hollows that didn't spawn around you." Ichigo nodded as he leapt off toward the giant Hollow, Uryu remaining with the group.

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Arrows flew at the Menos Grande, striking it in its mask, as did a low level Hado. It didn't even turn to acknowledge them, its gaze fixed on the Shinigami running at its ankles. It stopped and opened its mouth, an orb of red energy appearing as it gathered power.

A massive flash and odd sound occurred, a crimson flash speeding straight for Ichigo. Without time to dodge, he could only set his swords across one another and try to guard. A cloud of smoke and dust kicked up as the blast struck Ichigo, blinding the group that had stayed back.

"Ichigo-kun! Please Urahara-san, we have to help him!" Orihime's pleas went unanswered, Tatsuki hugging her to try and give comfort. Chad and Uryu watched with their eyes narrowed, neither believing that the attack had been enough to stop Ichigo.

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Ichigo grunted with the effort required to hold the beam that the Hollow had fired at him back, the light refracting into a number of colors after striking his swords. For a brief second, his blades seemed to change shape, one of them becoming invisible and the other growing and becoming jagged. The light surrounding him was sucked into the handle of what had been a wakizashi moments ago, and his body and eyes once more lit up with golden energy.

"I can't lose now, everyone is counting on me! I hope you're ready, Hollow, because it's time to face the light!" The golden aura that surrounded Ichigo all blazed up at once, before it focused and blasted apart the Hollow in front of him in a beam similar to its own. His swords regained their original shape, humming slightly with the power that had been focused through them. Ichigo fell over unconscious, heedless of his victory or the shouts of his friends.

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"Well, Aizen-sama, it seems that your expectations have been greatly exceeded. What will you do now?" Gin's surprise was obvious, his red eyes a shown and his smile absent after witnessing the boy utterly annihilate a Hollow with enough strength to give most of the upper seated officers pause.

"Nothing, Gin. I'm pleasantly surprised with his progress, but it won't affect my plans. If anything, it is a boon to my plans. Now, I think it is about time that the Sotaicho saw that report on Rukia, don't you?" Gin grumbled and left to return the report to where it should have been, near the top of the current reports. Aizen simply smiled as he watched Ichigo destroy the Menos, excited about the faster growth rate than he had projected.

"As for you, Kurosaki-kun, soon enough you'll get a real test. I hope that you don't disappoint me…" Gin shivered as he heard echoes of Aizen's laughter behind him, the sound so uncommon that it never ceased to terrify the perpetual schemer.

**Omake 1: Yuzu's memory isn't erased.**

Ichigo was running in terror from his sister Yuzu, who had become convinced that their cat was a Goddess that was hiding itself. "Onii-chan, I'm serious! Maybe if you give her a kiss, Yoruichi-sama will show herself to you!" Ichigo simply kept running, only stopping when his father told everyone that it was time for bed.

'Never thought I would be thankful for goat-chin, but I guess that even he can't be useless all the time.' Yuzu pouted and let the cat, whose name she had changed to Yoruichi, down, and it ran to Ichigo. Three hours later, Ichigo was awoken by the sound of purring. He didn't see Kuroneko when he sat up, but what he did resulted in his first ever arousal nosebleed.

Cuddling him in her sleep was an incredibly beautiful woman with skin like mocha, a trim and yet curvaceous body, purple hair, and an angelic face with a heart-stopping smile and playful golden eyes. "Ne, Ichigo-kun, still don't believe I'm a Goddess?"

This one event would be a memory that could put Yoruichi in a good mood for years to come, the adorable blush that had taken hold of Ichigo before he fainted left her smiling for days when it had happened.

**Endnote: Well, hopefully this story is still to everyone's liking. I looked through Chapter 4 before writing this chapter, and my only thoughts were, 'How am I gonna top that?!" Just so you know, the Omake is canon for this story, as Jinta and Ururu didn't know that they were supposed to erase Yuzu's memory. I hope that one day I actually have a hard plan with where this story should go, but currently my only plans involve Ichigo, Yoruichi, and the training ground hotspring.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I have a crippling addiction to Cherry Pepsi. I cannot work without it. By the way, still not getting paid for these statements. Why are disclaimers required when the U.S. fair-use policy says that if I put something else for purpose of satire or comment, it's legal not to have permission from the owner?**

**Author Note: So, I ran out of my personal fuel last weekend and didn't write, but that will not stop me again. A big thank you to banesith777, amir26r, Mexican ninja1996, Darkaggie, hornet07, Acolyte of the Blood Moon, Rosco Peeko Trane, Vincent, pyrohellgunner, Damaio The End, DT-ER, 8579, Xearthes, insomniac1970, Jake, Henrik, lobos, and the guests that reviewed. To answer the question of the guest, no. Ichigo will believe that the omake was a dream and does not know that Yoruichi is a person. Moving on, time for drama, action, suspense, romance, and whatever else I can throw at this thing!**

It had been three weeks since the Menos had fallen at Ichigo's hands. Hollows were becoming rare in Karakura, and Uryu was helping Chad, Orihime, and Tatsuki with their new powers. Really just Chad and Tatsuki, as Orihime showed no trouble calling her powers up, she just needed to practice and build her relationship with the fairies.

"Tatsuki, there's something that I've been considering ever since you told me about your powers." The tomboy looked at Uryu, frustrated that she hadn't been able to recreate her abilities. Chad had managed after about a week, but she just couldn't reactivate hers. "Well, I use a focus to run my power through, and I'm thinking your power might be similar. You said that you were wearing your karate gi, which is something filled with memories and has been in your presence during many periods of heightened stress. Maybe you need to wear your gi to channel your power like I use my cross."

Tatsuki looked over at her backpack, where her gi currently was. If the solution to her problem was that simple, she would be very upset. "I'll try it out, Ishida-san, but if this works I'm gonna be very upset with the last three weeks." She went someplace private to change, and came back wearing her gi. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and clapped her hands together. She felt that same energy she had been brushing against since the third day of training, and forced it through her and into her gi.

The failure she had been expecting didn't rear its ugly head this time. Instead, she felt an odd tingling that covered her body, making it feel as though she had poured a bottle of lemon juice on herself. When she opened her eyes, she saw that everyone had stopped their training to watch her. She looked down and saw the same combined armor/battle dress she had worn when she attacked that Numb Chandelier.

"Yatta! Oh you did it, Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime might have been a good student, and a joy to be around, but her situational awareness was almost non-existent. She threw herself in for a hug on her best friend, but immediately backed away when one of the shoulder spikes dripped a small amount of green acid on her. "ITAI! That really hurts!" Little tears hung from Orihime's eyes as Tatsuki shut off her armor and helped Orihime through her pain.

"Tatsuki, good job activating your powers. Orihime, try to be more aware of your surroundings. Knowing what's going on can save your life." Orihime nodded somberly with Uryu's warning, while Tatsuki powered herself back up. "Now then, according to Orihime, you referred to this ability as 'Acid Heart', and you used a technique that fired the spikes on your knuckles out?"

"Yeah. What are you wondering about now?" Uryu nodded to himself a little and wrote something in the clipboard that detailed everyone's progress and abilities. He was attempting to form strategies for combating Hollows using all these statistics, and sorting further to determine what the best teams would be. Chad was fine on his own for now, but he would need speed training to truly become a threat to the more powerful Hollows. Tatsuki was an experienced and balanced fighter, but she was not as strong or durable as the big man. Orihime's powers were ridiculous as far as he could tell, simply blocking attacks by being determined not to be hit.

So far, the real power in their group was Ichigo, with himself as second best. They were perfectly capable alone, as was Chad if he was honest. Orihime would need someone with her though, and Tatsuki looked to be the best choice. Unfortunately, Tatsuki had a major tournament coming up this summer, so she wouldn't be in town soon. Uryu hoped that they wouldn't need any help from her immediately, but he knew that the Gotei 13 were going to be coming for Rukia soon. He sighed as he watched everyone practice, before forming his bow and joining them. He would need to do the Sanrei glove training soon, if he wanted to take on any fukutaicho or taicho level Shinigami.

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Ichigo looked at his two swords in irritation. Ever since the Menos fight, he had been unsuccessfully trying to change their shape like he did against that monster. He knew that he had been a Shinigami long enough that removing Rukia's reiki from him would do nothing to limit his strength, but he had no idea how to go about doing such. He had tried talking to his Zanpakutou like Rukia had told him, but a fiercely cold presence always interrupted anytime he got close to his inner world. He knew that Rukia's power was now a hindrance, but there was no easy solution.

"Rukia, hurry up and get your power back, I want to talk to my Zanpakutou already!" The little black cat that his sister had renamed 'Yoruichi' stirred from her position on his lap. He had realized a while ago that the cat could see him in his Shinigami form, and it had begun following around on his patrols. "You know, it is dangerous for you to try and nap on me while I'm on my break. What if someone sees a floating cat when they come to the roof for a smoke, eh?" Talking to Yoruichi had become a kind of habit ever since she started following him, even though he knew that she couldn't answer back with anything but a meow.

"Ichigo! There's a Hollow, let's go!" Ichigo sat up slowly enough that he didn't send his pet flying, before turning to Rukia. He nodded and jumped off in the direction that Rukia pointed, hoping that doing something so routine would help clear his mind. Rukia watched him go sadly, knowing that she would be picked up very soon. Ichigo had become her friend in her time here, whether he acknowledged it or not. She would leave tonight, no sense letting Ichigo or his family come to harm because of her.

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Ichigo didn't even bother with a blade or spell against the rubbish Hollow that Rukia had sent him after. He just punched it in the mask and it exploded. Thankfully, Hollow essence didn't stay long, or else he would need to clean his Shihakusho. *Sigh* "I Hope that Uryu is having more fun training the team then I am right now. Releasing Hollows from their eternal torment is one of my favorite activities, but it isn't a challenge anymore. My poor Zanpakutou rarely gets any exercise anymore."

Ichigo went home to regain his body and spend some time on his guitar. Lately, his love of raw, fast paced music had been begrudgingly allowing slower, calmer music a place in his heart. Maybe it was because of the violence that day-to-day life was, or maybe it was the feelings he had been having since he had avenged his mother. Either way, his dad was grateful that he didn't have to listen to nothing but punk anymore.

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Yoruichi sat on Ichigo's bed, having finished up the most recent Skype call with Urahara. Kisuke had been getting upset with her recently, even arguing about how she had let the youngest Kurosaki see her. He had agreed with her plan to live in his home and follow him to view him more closely, even modified it so that she didn't have to come back to report to him, but now he seemed upset that she wasn't satisfied having lived there for over a month.

She stretched and purred as Ichigo returned, once more in control of his own body while Kon went back to living in his lion plushie. She sat up as he scratched her ears and picked up his guitar, something she was rarely around to see. She had been here long enough to know that if it was a fast song, he was just in the mood to play, and that if it was a slow song, he was deep in thought about something.

She nearly sighed when he began playing a slow, happy acoustic tune from a band that had broken up years before his own birth. She imagined that Shinji enjoyed it, open as he had been to new ways to experience the senses. Her ears perked up as she noticed that Ichigo was humming the vocal melody for the song, something she enjoyed even though he rarely did so. "_-Here comes the sun/ Here comes the sun/ And I say.../ It's alright-" _Yoruichi flicked her tail from side to side with the music, imagining that she might have been the only person ever to hear Ichigo sing. Given how breathy his speaking voice was, she was surprised that his voice was so clear when he sang.

When the song ended, he sat by her on the bed and started talking to her. It made her feel guilty that she couldn't respond, or let him know that she understood him somehow. He wasn't talking about anything much at first, just how his day had been when she wasn't around and how he was almost enjoying how bored he'd been lately, as it meant that the town was peaceful. He moved on to how he was worried what would happen to his friends when the Gotei 13 came for Rukia, as he wouldn't let them just take her, and they wouldn't let him fight alone.

Yoruichi just nuzzled her face into one of his hands purring, hoping to comfort him even if only a little. She remembered how Kisuke had said that he might end up the next Kenpachi from how brutal he had been against Grand Fisher and Shrieker. It still irritated her that Kisuke was willing to believe that Ichigo would be the one to finally end the fight against Aizen, and also maintain that he was doomed to be a bloodthirsty barbarian like Zaraki, or that oaf that came before him. Even though she told him just about everything in her reports, he still seemed to think rather poorly of Ichigo, and she didn't get why.

"Well, guess it's about time for dinner, eh, Yoru-chan? Maybe Yuzu made some grilled fish tonight!" Sometimes, she found the attention that Ichigo showed her as a cat adorable, especially since his affection was saved for his sisters and her. Other times, it irritated her that she couldn't just transform and show him that he had been treating an amazing woman like her as a pet. Still, no sense turning down dinner, as Yuzu was an excellent cook.

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Rukia looked up at the light in Ichigo's window before turning and walking away. If she was lucky, she would be far enough that he wouldn't be able to sense her before he found her note. It was her fault that he had to work like this to begin with, and she wasn't going to let him or any of her other new friends get hurt for her sake. "So long, Ichigo. Maybe I'll meet your mother in the cycle of reincarnation." She left dry-eyed with squared shoulders, accepting what she believed fate had in store for her.

About halfway across town, Rukia felt a familiar presence weighing on her. She looked around before noticing a reflective glint and a mass of red on top of a streetlight. "Renji? They decided to send you after me?" The Shinigami on the light pole didn't say a word, instead leaping down and putting a cut on Rukia's face.

"I'm not the one they sent, Taicho just brought his new fukutaicho along for the ride. I don't understand though, how could you be willing to betray Seireitei?" Rukia backed up and saw another figure behind Renji, one with black hair, elegant facial features, and a white haori.

"Onii-sama… why were you sent? Surely the report mentioned that I don't have the ability to fight back anymore? I wouldn't even if I could." Byakuya looked down on his adoptive sister, disappointed. There had been fairly high hopes for her based on her Academy scores, being above average in every category and excelling in Kido.

"I have come for two reasons. First, is that you are my responsibility, having brought shame to the house of Kuchiki. Second, it was believed that only a taicho could defeat the false Shinigami you gave your power to without dropping the Gentei Kaijo. Where is the one you betrayed us to anyway?" Rukia backed away and gulped down her fears, until a voice came and shocked her once more.

"So, two armed men attacking a schoolgirl in the dead of the night? You Shinigami really don't mind looking like villains, do you?" Uryu walked into the light, arm raised and reishi gathering. "The Gotei 13 have been bullies for a long time though, so I guess this is nothing new. Maybe you'd like to see what one of the few Quincies you bastards have deigned to let live is like?"

"Heh, don't bother, Taicho, I'll take the small fry." Byakuya nodded to Renji, who disappeared momentarily, before a shout of pain came from Uryu.

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Ichigo had just returned to his room, Yoruichi riding his shoulder. When he opened the door to his closet though, Rukia was nowhere to be seen, instead a note with one of her terrible rabbit drawings was left on the shelf she slept on.

-Ichigo, if you're reading this then you know that I have left. I won't risk endangering your family by staying there when they come to collect me. Thank you for being my friend, and for forgiving me the curse of duty I laid on your shoulders.-

"Well, Yoru-chan, looks like I've got a midget to rescue now. This fight is gonna be dangerous, so just wait here with Kon until I get back. I'll g-" A flux in a familiar reiatsu stopped Ichigo flat. He had felt Uryu's powers flare momentarily, before dropping out of his sensing range.

"No… not Uryu. BASTARDS! I WON'T LET ANYONE TAKE MORE OF MY FAMILY AWAY!" Ichigo grabbed Kon from his resting place and threw the pill in his body, rocketing out of the window at incredible speeds in the direction he had sensed Uryu's reiatsu.

Yoruichi waited for him to pass out of view, before changing form and following him discretely. 'Ichigo, you aren't ready for a taicho, not even one in the world of the living. I don't care what Kisuke says, I'll help Ichigo if I think he won't make it.' Thought finished, she continued to follow Ichigo's bright trail, looking like a shooting star as he flew to his cousin.

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"Wow, that guy sucked even worse than I thought he would, Taicho. So, are we gonna just take her and leave, or do I get to kill the fake that stole her powers to?" Byakuya ignored Renji's questions, looking in the direction that he felt a large reiatsu approaching. If this was the fake, then he sure felt like the real deal. He must have had more reiatsu than Renji, even in Seireitei.

"-Ugh- You think you're so strong, don't you Fukutaicho-san? Heh, Ichigo is gonna shred you to pieces. -Oooh-" Renji looked down with a grin at the defeated form of Uryu, only barely clinging to consciousness. He finally noticed a massive reiatsu behind him where his captain was looking, just in time to roll out of the way of a sword blow.

"Be glad that my cousin lives, Punk, otherwise there'd be more Shinigami than yourself dying today." Renji turned and attempted to focus his vision on his enemy, only to be blinded by looking into what could have passed for the heart of the sun. "Trash like you aren't worthy to even look at my friends, I'll burn your eyes until you can never see them again." The already great Reiatsu coming from what could only have been the boy that Rukia had empowered grew even higher, astounding Byakuya that someone that bore power for so short a time could be so accustomed to it.

"We'll see who's trash, **Hoero, Zabimaru!**" The basic katana in Renji's grip reformed in a red light, shifting into a segmented sword with large saw-like teeth. He swung his released Zanpakutou at Ichigo, who simply raised his wakizashi to block the attack.

"I thought that fukutaicho of the Gotei 13 were supposed to be strong, you are nothing but a joke!" Ichigo fired a silent **Byakurai** at renji from the tip of his katana, burning a hole in his Shihakusho as he barely dodged. "No one threatens my friends, understand?" Renji barely recalled his sword and blocked Ichigo's blade as it came crashing down toward his head. He disengaged and jumped back to avoid the follow-up, looking surprised at his foe.

"How can you stand up to my Shikai? I might have the limiter on, but you are nothing but a fake! You are far too powerful to be human, what else has happened to you?" Ichigo felt tempted to mock and humiliate Renji more, but Uryu needed this to be quick. He dashed straight at Renji, too fast for Renji to guard with the limiter on. Just as one of Ichigo's blades would have reached his shoulder, another blade rose to intercept.

"This is enough, Kurosaki. Renji may be a fool, but he is my fukutaicho and I can't allow you to trounce him like this. Prepare yourself for the blade of a taicho, child, and be honored to die on your feet." A devastating series of slashes came at Ichigo, all of them parried by the two blades of the Substitute.

"You, unlike the pineapple over there, are a challenge. I take it you have a limiter on as well?" Byakuya simply nodded as Ichigo began increasing his power again, impatient for this battle's end. "I'm afraid that I'll need to go to maximum then, no sense in giving you the chance to increase your abilities like the other one." As Ichigo began to reach his current peak, he felt an incredible pain in his spine and his stomach, like ice and electricity rolled into one sensation. He collapsed holding the new wounds in his spirit, barely able to look up at his opponent.

"You might survive those wounds, though it is a testament to your toughness that you aren't already dead. You will never feel what it is like to have power again, you won't look upon this world not meant for your kind. Farewell boy, you have earned this small mercy." Byakuya grabbed Rukia and left with her and Renji. Just before falling unconscious, Ichigo saw the woman from his dreams again, with tears in her eyes as she looked at him.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. I promise, I'll help you and your cousin regain your abilities and make sure you are healed." Yoruichi took off with both men on her shoulders, bringing them to the one place she was sure could help.

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Ichigo was in his bed with his guitar again, singing for the beautiful woman that he had seen twice now as he played her a song. Ichigo didn't sing much, he preferred the way he could make his guitar sound to the way his voice just naturally flowed. The Goddess had asked him to sing to her though, so he would. She was fully clothed this time, in a black bodysuit with an orange top over it. Her figure was still easy to recognize, but she was far easier to look at without fear of exsanguination with the clothes on.

"Thanks for singing for me, Ichigo-kun, but we can't stay here for long. You have important work to do, remember? You have to fight, you need to get your strength back. You have to save Rukia!" Ichigo looked at her confused for a moment, before he felt something wet on his stomach. He looked down and saw the open wound that the taicho he fought had left, bleeding rapidly. "It's time to wake up, Ichigo-kun. I'll see you again, sooner than you think."

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Ichigo awoke with a start to see a man's face inches from his own. He reacted the way any sane person would, by throwing the man through the nearest three walls. "Urahara-dono, young Kurosaki has awoken." A blond man in a bucket hat and traditional geta walked up to Ichigo through the hole in his wall, shaking his head slightly as he gazed at the boy.

"Now, now, Kurosaki-san, no reason to destroy my house. Tessai-san was just keeping you warm while you slept. It's good to see you up though, poor Yoruichi was beside herself." Ichigo looked around confused, remembering eventually that he had been stabbed before a hallucination had dragged him to safety. Well, not a hallucination, but it couldn't have been what he saw.

"Erm… you are, Urahara-san, correct? Tell me, is Uryu alright?" Kisuke nodded, before he motioned for Ichigo to follow him as he left the room. "Wait a minute, how do you know about my cat?" Urahara's only response was a chuckle as he kept walking to a trapdoor in the back of his shop. Ichigo followed Urahara into a basement significantly larger than the establishment above it, completely speechless by the astounding view before him.

"You think this is great, my other one has a hot spring that heals wounds. As far as knowing your cat, well, you'll see later, I'm sure. Anyway, we are here because you want to restore your powers, yes?" Ichigo nodded, still confused about what his cat had to do with things. If Yoruichi had followed him against his request, she wouldn't be getting any milk for months.

"Very well, you will take this headband and these gloves, and shout 'behold the grandest warrior of love and justice, apprentice to the outstandingly genius and handsome Urahara Kisuke-sama, Kurosaki Ichigo!'" Ichigo stood completely still as the apparent madman stood in a silly pose, waiting for him to laugh and say that this was a joke. When the silence stretched into the lengths of awkward, Ichigo grew irritated.

"There is no way that headband or your stupid phrase will restore the Soul Sleep or Soul Chain, so don't even say it might. If you need to pull me from my body so that my soul can once more be accustomed to itself, so be it, but I am not going to parade myself for your amusement." Kisuke began fanning his face, giggling as he saw the anger on Ichigo's face.

"Very well, just clip the headband on like normal and prepare yourself for violence." Before Ichigo could speak, he felt the familiar sensation of being separated from his body, though instead of feeling powerful and weightless, he felt himself struggling to breathe under his own weight.

"Ururu will be beating the piss out of you until your Soul Sleep is recovered, then I'm gonna throw you in a hole until you either become a Hollow or Shinigami. Have fun!" Ichigo was dodging heavy blows from a tiny girl the next second, both furious at this man and glad that he knew what to expect. Something with this high of a reward, the risk made sense.

"I swear Geta-Boshi, I'm gonna stab you eighty ways from Sunday when I get my powers back!" Ichigo was far too focused to do any further threats or complaints. Hopefully, he'd survive long enough to make good on his threat.

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"So Ichigo is going through Hell to get his powers back, and the rest of us need to step up our training to go with him? You do know how odd that sounds coming from his pet cat, right?" Yoruichi sighed as Uryu, Chad, and Orihime looked at her, Orihime with little hearts in her eyes at the talking cat.

"Yuzu-chan told me and Tatsuki that you are a Goddess, is that true Yoruichi-sama?" Yoruichi shook her head at the odd behavior of the excitable young girl in front of her. Ichigo needed back up, and this was all they had. Tatsuki had left for her tournament earlier that day, and wouldn't be back in time to be of help.

"I'm just a mystery, and please don't call me that. Anyway, yes, you will need to train up and help Ichigo. I will take care of Chad and Orihime, Uryu, I believe you have a special training of your own to do. In ten days, we leave for the Seireitei. All of you will be ready by then, and Ichigo will be more powerful even than he was before."

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"Congratulations on surviving, Ichigo. Time to go in that hole I mentioned." Kisuke's wide smile should have tipped Ichigo off that something terrible was about to happen, but he was tired from avoiding all of these rock-crushing punches.

"So, where is it? And why are you smiling?" Ichigo saw his Soul Chain get cut off as a hole opened under his feet, his last words before striking the bottom being: "DAMN YOU GETA-BOSHI!"

**Endnote: Have I mentioned that I love reading fluff, but that writing it is painful? Because it is, especially fluff where only one character realizes what is happening. In perspective here, Yoruichi is essentially a stalker. Ichigo just doesn't realize that, and neither does anyone else. Yoruichi herself feels insanely guilty that she is unable to speak with Ichigo for real, but that he tells her all of his secrets unknowingly. Anyway, next time be prepared for Ichigo to have a Shikai, and for the gang to crash Seireitei. Except Tatsuki, she will actually still be in her Karate Tournament. Don't worry though, she will get some more screentime in the later arcs.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I totally forgot to write anything in yesterday's disclaimer.**

**Author Note: I've noticed a trend that certain people review regularly, and I like it. That means that they are still reading every week, which makes me happy. A big thank you to banesith777, Sceonn, Xearthes, Acolyte of the Blood Moon, lucavento, WeberCode, Myrolerian, insomniac1970, Zaralann, 8579, Alternet RedSkys, TeninChwang, and the guest that reviewed.**

Ichigo was sitting in the center of the pit that Urahara had been kind enough to deposit him in. His legs were crossed, fists set on his knees, as he tried to enter the meditative state that he had been using to try and talk to his Zanpakutou before losing his powers. It failed once again, however, as the burning and stabbing pains erupting from his Soul Chain were robbing him of his concentration.

He wasn't sure how long he had been there, hours, days, maybe a week? Everything had become bursts of pain and frustration with failure. The odd bindings that Tessai had cast on him were covered in small tears from his thrashing, close to falling apart with the painful seizures feeling his soul be eaten slowly caused.

"Damn it! I'm gonna do incredibly unpleasant things to him when I get my powers back. Maybe tie him to one of these boulders and use him for Kido practice." As Ichigo lamented his increasingly frustrating attempts to enter his inner world, Kisuke and his crew watched on as the chain devoured itself link by link.

"No way he's gonna make it, we should probably just send him to Seireitei as is and hope he regenerates his powers through death." Kisuke shook his head at Jinta, while Ururu looked down fearfully at Ichigo. At least she understood what that would mean.

"Jinta, in case you've forgotten, Shinigami that gain power after death, rather than from being born in Seireitei, lose their memories of life. He would have to relearn how to fight, his Kido, his skillful swordplay… not worth the time investment." An irritated voice came from the mouth of the pit as they stared down, shocking Jinta back from its edge.

"I CAN HEAR YOU GUYS!" Ichigo fumed, looking on in desperation as he saw his chain consume its last five links, screaming in pain as a Hollow mask attempted to form on his face. He felt a tug where his spine met his head, before blacking out. Kisuke held Jinta and Ururu back as Tessai began casting a Bakudo to hold Ichigo down.

"This is the moment we've been waiting for, kids. He will either become the Shinigami/Hollow hybrid we will need, or the Hollow/Shinigami hybrid we have to destroy. Pay close attention, and be careful when he finishes changing." Jinta pulled his kanabo and nodded, while Ururu steeled herself and took out her rocket launcher. "Soul King give you luck, Ichigo."

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Ichigo opened his eyes to witness an area very familiar to him, one he had spent much of his time following his mother's death. The stream and waterfall that Soken had shown him how to access and control his powers, forest on every side. There was something odd though, the area seemed unnaturally dark. He had spent many nights here, and it was never this dark, even when there was a new moon.

The waterfall began glowing, harsh golden light creating a series of rainbows with the spray of the falls. A tall figure, around the same height as Chad, walked out from where it had been, and instantly the clearing shined as if under the noon sun. "Hello, Ichigo. I've been waiting for you. My name is *********" Ichigo looked on in confusion, shaking his head a moment later.

"I still can't hear your name, huh? I really hoped that I would have been able to I've been trying for a long time." The golden light decreased, allowing Ichigo to view a figure that looked very odd to him. A middle-aged man bearing features similar to Uryu looked back at him, save the orange hair like his own. He was wearing an entire suit of what looked to be western full-plate armor, save a crown in place of a helm. All of it flashed, a lustrous gold used to fashion it. A purple cloak came from his shoulders, trimmed in ermine.

Ichigo noticed that the figure didn't have either of his swords, it simply wore a belt where they might be scabbarded. "Unfortunate. Remember, Ichigo, you don't have much time to find your blades. My name comes afterwards. They are hidden in the cave behind these falls, but should you fail to reach them in time, you will drown in the waters here."

Ichigo took the kingly figure's word for the truth, and entered the cave behind the falls. A single box was at the peak of hundreds of slippery limestone stairs, and the water came rushing in right behind him. He struggled to grip the slick stairs, more hand and footholds than true stairs. He managed to grasp the box and pull his swords free just as the water rose above his head.

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Tessai had used the highest level Bakudo, **Kin** in attempt to restrain Ichigo's thrashing body, but a burst of golden light and heavy spiritual pressure shattered his bin and flew from the pit. Kisuke looked on as the dust cleared, waiting to see whether Ichigo was still Ichigo or not. When the cloud finally cleared, he could see Ichigo with what remained of the bindings on him, his Zanpakutous held as he usually did. There was a Hollow mask on his face, however, one with a Cheshire Smile and several red stripes near his right eye.

Jinta and Ururu stood behind Kisuke, Tessai appearing at his side. Everyone tensed as Ichigo moved, just long enough to smash the pommel of his katana against the mask. It shattered, and Ichigo looked over at Kisuke, flashing into a golden brilliance as he caught the shop-keeper's eye.

"I got my powers back, you know what that means? I made a promise to do terrible things to you, Kisuke, including a high number of stab wounds. Get ready, because soon, you'll envy swiss cheese for how solid it is." The completely calm and collected voice chilled all of them, expecting some anger, but not a deathly cold rage.

"Now, now, let's not be too hasty. Your recovery isn't done, you have to damage my hat in open combat now. You can try to stab me, but I am still stronger than you. Don't make me regret fixing you, Ichigo-kun. You owe me a lot." Ichigo grumbled incoherently as he turned himself down to a more easily visible gleam, too honorable to stab Kisuke while owing him his life and returned powers.

"Alright, excuse me while I draw my Zanpakutou. Her name is Benihime, how about yours, Ichigo?" The glow came back a little as Ichigo glared at Kisuke, but dimmed again as he readied himself for combat. "I see, well, you will need to figure out its name if you want to hit my hat, or even withstand my sword. Oh well, nice knowing you, Ichigo-kun."

Kisuke swung his cane sword at Ichigo repeatedly, recovering from Ichigo's parries faster than Ichigo could try and swing his other blade. Even worse, Kisuke smirked and backed away slightly, releasing his Shikai without a sound. "How about we try something new, maybe you'll have a better chance!" Ichigo's first attempt to parry the released Benihime was a disaster, barely keeping his hands on his weapons as he was thrown through one of the large stone formations dotting the training ground.

"I thought you would be afraid, but all that's happening is your reiatsu keeps rising! Don't force your sword to change, allow it to. If you force this, you'll be absolute trash, someone that enslaved something born from their own soul." Ichigo continued increasing his energy output, barely deflecting Kisuke's heavy blows, something other than the ringing of clashing steel beginning to sound in his head.

"Think, Ichigo! You saw me, felt my presence, understand what we are! Call forth my powers, cry my name with that power that illuminates the heavens! I am" Ichigo stood still, pointing his wakizashi at Kisuke, his body pulsing even brighter light. Kisuke stopped and looked at Ichigo, hoping that this part of the training was finally finished.

"You might want to try and block, Geta-Boshi. I'm not sure exactly what this is gonna do. **Azumanohikari ni taishite josho no jisan: Kogane no Taiyō no Kōtei!**" Ichigo's golden aura focused into his swords, becoming far more intense for a few seconds, as a beam of energy shot at Kisuke from Ichigo's wakizashi.

"**Chikasumi no Tate!**" A hexagon shaped red shield covered Kisuke, the blast of power from Ichigo pressing forward and flowing around it. When the glow returned to what was normal, and the dust from Ichigo's attack cleared, Kisuke looked on as Ichigo held two very different blades. His katana had become a single-handed flamberge, the size of a Western hand-and-a-half sword. His wakizashi had changed much more, becoming a cinquedea in shape, but hollow, with only a frame of what the sword should have been remaining.

"So, 'Emperor of the Golden Sun'. A little flashy, and apparently that little sword in your left hand is secretly a cannon, but at least you have a name figured out now. Though the name implies only one spirit, in spite of having two blades. So, we have another week before you are gonna leave to save Rukia, how about some more practice with your new best friend?" Ichigo looked at his two blades, wondering where all the European influences had come from, before turning back to face Kisuke with a smile.

"A whole week left to train? I'll be defeating taicho-level opponents in no time." The two men shared a grin at his confident words, before rushing to meet in another match of steel. Though that was soon changed as both began casting Kido, or in Kisuke's case throwing energy waves with a sword command.

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Ichigo stood outside with Kisuke, waiting for the rest of his friends. Over the last week, he had grown to accept that he wasn't able to go alone, though he still didn't understand why Kisuke kept saying that his cat was coming with them.

"Ichigo!" Orihime came running up to them, waving as she carried Yoruichi. What happened next stunned Ichigo, as his cat waved at him to. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, only to hear something he had never been expecting.

"Good to see you again, Ichigo-kun. Kon has been letting Yuzu sneak my snacks." That simple sentence shut Ichigo's mind off for the next few minutes, not even reacting as Chad and Uryu arrived, simply staring at what he had thought to be a regular pet. "Wow, you're taking this worse than Chad did. Is the fact that I can talk so surprising to you people?"

Ichigo's shocked stare shifted into a harsher than usual scowl, warning Kisuke to take a few steps back or have another hat be disintegrated with energy beams. While Kisuke would be hailed as the obvious victor of their spar, he had lost a total of five hats to Ichigo's Kido and swordsmanship.

"You could understand me when I was talking to you the whole time, and you just sit back and listened? You watched me when I changed after my showers? WHAT THE HELL?! WHY NOT TELL ME?!" Yoruichi was in an awkward position, someone that she had grown fond and protective of, somebody she admired in an odd way, was angry at her over a choice of her oldest friend's. She had wanted to approach Ichigo before he even fought the Menos and speak with him, but Kisuke had told her to wait until Rukia was captured. He had always been the smart one, and as such, she had listened.

"Kisuke told me not to!" As would anyone in an uncomfortable position, she threw blame at Kisuke. Of course, she would have blamed Kisuke even if it had been Isshin to stop her, blaming Kisuke was a very old habit this far in her life. The genius backed away from Ichigo slowly, hands raised in a 'please don't murder my hat collection' way.

"Ichigo-kun, you need to leave now, remember? Save Rukia from execution and all that jazz? … I'm the only one with a Senkaimon to get you in." Ichigo's utter hatred of stylish headwear abated long enough for him to nod, but both of the old friends were suffering from an intense glare the whole way to the basement.

"Alright, make sure you run through when you're in the Dangai, or death will most certainly contain you. Also, Ichigo, try not to glow at people that upset you there, bad things will happen. Yoruichi, I'm counting on you to succeed." Without any further ado, Ichigo and the gang ran through Kisuke's empty door frame, the world turning into an unappealing shade of purple.

"Hurry! If you don't run, the Kototsu will destroy you!" Yoruichi called out to get everyone to run, from her perch on Ichigo's shoulder. Uryu's cape in his snazzy new white Quincy battle uniform got stuck in the flow, tearing off as Chad pulled Uryu free and tossed him over his shoulder. Everyone ignored Uryu's outraged pleas to be let down as the end of their road approached. Just as Ichigo was suspecting that they wouldn't make it, Orihime formed a shield behind them that exploded, launching them out of the Dangai and into Seireitei.

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"ITAI! Why did you scratch me, Yoruichi-chan? That really hurt…" Orihime pouted as pitifully as she could while everyone gathered themselves up from their unexpected crash landing into the Rukongai around the edge of the Seireitei. Uryu had pulled a spare cape from somewhere, no one willing to question why he had even brought one.

"Girl, if one of the faeries had struck the Kototsu directly, you would have been wiped out with them! Don't risk yourself like that, we were going to make it, if barely." Orihime nursed the scratch that Yoruichi left on her face, nodding when the cat's real concerns came forward. "Alright, let's go and meet someone to get us in… where is Ichigo?"

The whole party looked around, only to see Ichigo walking straight for the gate into the true Seireitei. When he got too close, a series of walls fell down, blocking access and summoning a gargantuan defender. "I AM JIDANBO! NONE OF YOU CAN HOPE TO DEFEAT ME! In my hundreds of years guarding this gate, no one has managed to break my guard and enter." The whole crew stopped and watched as Ichigo stood still, gazing curiously up at Jidanbo.

"How many people have tried? I can tell your reiatsu is barely enough to be a seated officer, did they just run when they saw how big you are?" Jidanbo glowered at Ichigo, drawing both of his axes in a rage. Ichigo held his hand to stop interference from his friends, before lifting his katana from its scabbard.

"DIE TINY ONE! FEEL THE WRATH OF JIDANBO!" Thus began a small earthquake as Jidanbo began smashing blow after blow on Ichigo. Thirty seconds later, metal shards went flying as Ichigo grew bored and shattered Jidanbo's axes. Ichigo regretted his decision moments later, as the sad giant began weeping piteously with the destruction of his prized weapons.

"You broke my axes…*sniffle* … w-why would you do something so cruel?" No one was sure whether to be sad for the man or sweatdrop, being assaulted by someone is a great reason to break their weapons. Ichigo looked around awkwardly as the man continued crying, scratching his head in embarrassment as everyone stared at him.

"Look… I'm sorry about breaking them, okay? I just need to get inside to save a friend of mine. She's in a lot of danger, and I don't want to wait too long to help her." Ichigo had not taken Jidanbo's ridiculous sensitivity into account, and wound up engulfed in a hug by the massive man.

"Oh that is so terrible! I can't believe that I cried over my axes while you have a person in danger that needs you! I'll lift the gate for you, you earned it by defeating me, and treating me with kindness and honor." Everyone stood stunned as Jidanbo began lifting the gate, only to stop and freeze in terror.

"A beaten gatekeeper doesn't open the gate, he dies. **Ikorose: Shinsou**." A man in a white haori with silver hair stood with his sword posed, free-hand above the back of the blade while it was lowered around stomach height. A burst of reiatsu alerted Ichigo, who managed to jump in front of Jidanbo and block with his two blades, both of them shot backwards as the gate fell. The man's insane smile stayed on display until the gatecrashed all the way down, mocking the group at their failure to enter the Seireitei.

The previously empty streets suddenly filled with people checking Jidanbo for injuries, one of his arms suffering from when Ichigo deflected the odd taicho's blade. "Orihime, can you heal him? He doesn't deserve to suffer for helping us." She nodded, all of the Rukongai civilians watching in awe as her healing shield erased any evidence of there ever being a wound on Jidanbo's body, even his sleeve reformed around his arm.

"Ichigo, don't just run off on your own like that, I have a plan to get us in there! Seriously, what would you have done if you faced a taicho instead of Jidanbo, huh? Do you want to fail?" Ichigo stared at Yoruichi as she scolded him, idly thinking how much nicer it had been when she couldn't talk. Especially considering how she was a female cat, and her voice was incredibly manly.

"I get it, I won't take any more risks like that. I didn't sense any reiatsu strong enough to bother me while I was walking to the gate though, I'm amazed that creepy bastard managed to sneak up on us like that." Yoruichi spared Ichigo her claws this time, though she was still upset as the district elder came and invited them into his home.

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Rukia was sitting in a cell in the barracks of squad 6, looking blankly at the wall. Renji was watching her at the moment, her official judgement was being handed out in a meeting right now, and Byakuya would be there with the result soon. "Don't worry Rukia, I'm sure that your status and the fact that the boy you gave your powers to was helping us will be enough to gain a reduction in sentence. Kuchiki-taicho is certain to be here with their judgement any moment now."

She didn't bother answering, knowing that Renji would be wrong about this. If anything, her brother would insist she be executed for shaming the Kuchiki name. Footsteps were heard down the hallway, echoing softly until Byakuya opened the door. "Your sentence had been decided. In their infinite wisdom, the Central 46 have declared you a traitor to the Seireitei, and to the Gotei 13. You, Kuchiki Rukia, are sentenced to execution via Sokyoku. The power of one million Zanpakutou will wipe you from existence, and remove you from the cycle of reincarnation."

Byakuya turned on his heel and walked back out, Renji staring after him in horror as Rukia began feeling fear. She had expected hundreds of years to life, but not this. The Sokyoku had never been used on someone less than taicho-level before, and even then only the most heinous of traitors and rebels warranted total removal.

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So far the attempt to rescue Rukia was a disaster. They were thrown out of the fastest way to reach her by a taicho within twenty minutes of arriving, they discovered that none of them could pay for what little food existed, and some weirdo riding a pig that turned stuff into sand had failed miserably when he tried to attack Ichigo for being a Shinigami. They were headed to the countryside now, Yoruichi having insisted she knew someone that could help them.

"There's Kukaku's place! I was beginning to fear that she had already left." The group stared at the house, or rather, at the giant sculpted arms holding up a banner declaring it the residence of Shiba Kukaku. Two men appeared from platforms under the ground, identical twins by the look of them. Ichigo grabbed his head the moment they began speaking, wishing that literally anyone else had been there to greet them.

"Halt! We are the guards of the Shiba household, and no ruffians or Shinigami like yourselves are allowed inside." The biggest problem with their greeting was that they said it a few words at a time, swapping which twin was talking. "Now leave, or suffer the consequences!" Both of them took up silly fake martial art poses, further aggravating Ichigo as a trained fighter.

"I don't care who you are, Yoruichi said that we need to see Kukaku, and I swear that if I had any less discipline training, I would have blown this house apart by now." Yoruichi waved at the two of them from Ichigo's shoulder, resulting in a 180 degree switch from their original attitude.

"Yoruichi-sama! It's been so long, we didn't recognize you! Hurry in, Kukaku-sama would love to see you." Thus our heroes walked down some blank grey stairs into a similarly bare house, until the twins smacked a gong outside a room, and announced their presence to their boss. "YORUICHI-SAMA AND GUESTS HERE FOR YOU, KUKAKU-SAMA!" They opened the sliding door, revealing something not fitting the image that anyone had gained for Kukaku from the decor.

An attractive woman with black hair under a sort of bandana crafted from bandages, revealing clothing, and a false right arm sat upon a pile of pillows, looking over everyone in her home. Ichigo managed not to stare at her ridiculous breasts, no matter how hard it was to avoid them. Orihime was absolutely entranced, however, never having seen a pair larger than her own.

"Well, Yoruichi, I see you brought me some boy-toy with a penchant for hair dye and an innocent faced lesbian, are they gifts or guests?" Ichigo formed an eyebrow tic, training for manners from his many teachers insisting that he wait until his turn to speak to correct her, while Orihime looked from side-to-side, wondering why this Kukaku woman thought that Chizuru was there.

"We are guests for now, but neither of those are true to my knowledge. I know for a fact that Ichigo's natural hair color is orange, and I don't think that Orihime bats for that team." Kukaku began laughing, while Orihime spaced out and envisioned herself a professional softball player, with Tatsuki coaching her team in the Olympics. "We are gonna need a favor though, one that I know is gonna be difficult to grant."

Kukaku sat up straighter, interest showing in her eyes. "If you think it will be tough, then I accept. How about we discuss this favor over some sake, while you let the youngins go to bed?" No one liked being referred to as youngins, while Yoruichi was more upset at being called old in comparison to them.

"Alright, everyone, I'll see you in the morning. Ichigo, I'll see you when I go to bed." Kukaku started giggling uncontrollably when Yoruichi said that, everyone else following the twins to the guest rooms. Ichigo hoped that they could leave soon, he had no clue how long until Rukia would be executed, his sense of time thrown off when they were thrown from the Dangai.

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**Next Time: **All of the captains are finally introduced! ALL of them. I can't wait!

**Endnote: I feel like this chapter rambled a bit. Mayb****e I shouldn't combine like four episodes into one chapter, even if it is only 4,000 words. Wow, I guess that shows just how few words could be used to explain everything in an episode. Oh, if anyone wants to help me with my writing slightly, visit my profile page and read what's up there. Jarek Gray, signing off.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own something, but Bl****each is not that thing.**

**Author Note: Well, I must say it feels good to be back. ****A hiatus like that shouldn't be happening again, and I will do my best to make sure I put out material that is worth reading. On the bright side, this story is in the top 50% of Yoru/Ichi stories with 20,000 or more words in terms of favorites and follows, so thank all of you for your hard work. I will no longer post the names of everyone that reviewed in these, since I'm beginning to feel that just pads out my word count, which you guys deserve better.**

An ancient man in a white haori with the kanji for one on his back, and an gnarled old walking stick looked over the small, elite gathering taking place in his meeting hall. He raised his short staff and slammed its butt into the ground, a reverberating crack snapping all in the room to attention. "I hereby call this meeting of the taicho of the Gotei 13 into order! State 'present' when your name is called. Soi Fon!"

A petite woman with dark hair and a serious face called her affirmation, the kanji for two on her haori. Her hair was set into tight bands with golden hoops at the end. She would have been called pretty, if not for the serious demeanor and permanent scowl on her face. Her sword was a wakizashi, held on her right side to be drawn in a reverse grip.

"Ichimaru Gin!" A silver haired man with a fox like grin and narrow eyes called his presence in a cheerful voice. The kanji for three lay on his back, his haori shifting as he looked at the others in the room. His sword was also a wakizashi, though it was born on his left hip for a simpler forward stance. It was noticeably less curved than the other blades in the room.

"Unohana Retsu!" A quiet affirmation came from the woman with four as her symbol, a small frown on her lips as she was remembering what happened last time they gathered for this meeting. She had very long dark hair, set into a single braid that covered most of her torso. Her face was kind, almost gentle, her expression making her seem motherly.

"Aizen Sosuke!" An unassuming man with a friendly smile gave his affirmation next. His brown hair was left down in a simple cut, his bangs falling just short of his glasses. Continuing the trend, his haori bore the kanji of five. He had a simple katana on his left hip, just as plain as the rest of his appearance.

"Kuchiki Byakuya!" The noble taichou just nodded coldly, light glinting off of his hair accessories, marking him as head of the clan. Byakuya was handsome, in a way, with his fine features and his touch of noble fashion in his outfit, his haori not bearing sleeves kept the amount of white in his outfit generated by the scarf from becoming an eyesore. He was the taicho of squad six, his elegant blade rested on his left hip.

"Komamura Sajin!" A low grumble emerged from the helmeted taicho of squad seven. His blade was significantly larger and wider than the others, matching his massive form, only one other in the room approaching a height similar to his. None of his features were visible past his helmet, his feet and hands similarly covered in armor.

"Kyoraku Shunsui!" A man in what was by far the most colorful outfit in the room gave a lazy wave at his leader, a friendly grin breaking out. His long hair was partially hidden by a large straw hat, and his taicho's haori was covered by a pink overcoat decorated with pale flowers.

"Tousen Kaname!" A dark skinned man wearing clear goggles called his presence back to his commander. He wore white boots as opposed to sandals, black fingerless gloves, and an orange scarf. His face bore no expression, his blade lay in a purple obi that tied his uniform.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro!" A white haired Shinigami that appeared to be a child responded, his gaze sliding slowly over the others in the room. His blade was worn on his back, a blue-green sash used to fix it in place. His gaze stopped wandering and came to rest on the man at the head of the hall.

"Zaraki Kenpachi!" The second tallest, but easily most intimidating figure in the room barely responded, preferring to eye Byakuya in an attempt to call out the other taicho. His hair was done in tall spikes, bells affixed to the ends of each of them. He had a large scar going down the left side of his face, and wore an eyepatch over his right eye. His Haori had the sleeves roughly torn off, his sword heavily chipped and notched as he set the tip on the ground, the nodachi not having a scabbard.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri!" The strangest figure in the room took a moment to glance at the sotaicho, sighing loudly as opposed to actually stating his presence. His hat was shaped like a strange crescent, his ears small cylindrical pieces of gold. His face was made up in black and white make up, and his gaze was intense enough to make any normal person he looked at feel their skin crawl.

"Very well. I received a message from Ukitake-taicho that his illness was too intense for him to come to the meeting at this time. This gathering is to determine the opponent that Ichimaru-taicho faced at the gates earlier, as well as decide what, if any, punishment is deserved for failing to either kill or capture the intruder. Ichimaru, report the exact details of your encounter." Once more a crack was heard as Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto brought his cane down.

"Well, I was hanging around the borders for a while, and then the walls drop and I hear Jidanbo shouting and swinging his axes. Then he starts crying and opens the gate. The guy that beat him was some orange-haired brat with two Zanpakutou, and he was quick enough to deflect my Shikai and save the life of that buffoon."

Byakuya's calm features shifted for a moment, returning to normal immediately after. He stepped forward and began to speak himself, surprising many of the others. "That matches the description of Kurosaki Ichigo, the boy that I defeated in the World of the Living. I cut his Soul Chain and Soul Sleep, meaning that he must have undergone a strenuous regimen to regain his abilities. In terms of power, he has more raw energy than any of the fukutaicho. If he has unlocked his Shikai since then, I estimate that the taicho would be the only ones able to defeat him."

A shiver seemed to run through the room at the idea that a simple human out powered all but the best that the Gotei 13 had to offer. Aizen was the first to voice the incredulity and doubt. "Surely if one of our lieutenants was better able to use Shunpo or Kido they could beat him, he can't have much training in either art. How could he have so much power to begin with?"

"I am unsure, though it may have something to do with Shiba-taicho, who went missing in the World of the Living long enough ago to be his parent. The hair may be different, but otherwise he is uncannily similar in looks to Shiba Kaien." More thoughtful silence came from the taicho, until a large boom shook the building. A guard ran inside, panic held down in the presence of Seireitei's elite.

"Sotaicho, a light from the sky has struck our barrier! It looks like it may break through!" The purpose of the meeting lay unfulfilled as Yamamoto dismissed the rest to gather their squads. Hitsugaya overheard Aizen speaking to Gin about his luck that the meeting was dismissed before judgement could be rendered. He walked back to his squad wary about the information that Byakuya had shared, hoping that no one in his squad would be targeted by the possible invader.

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**Earlier, with the main characters**

Ichigo was in a quandary, his training in manners telling him that he should refrain from injuring this 'Ganju' that happened to be his host's brother, but the rest of him aching to beat the arrogant fool for insulting him so readily. He didn't exactly have the best opinion on the Gotei 13, but that didn't mean that he was a terrible person for having Shinigami powers. It was like Ganju believed Ichigo to be solely responsible for everything wrong with Seireitei. Wearing the uniform made Ichigo evil in Ganju's eyes, in spite of his lack of affiliation with the actual government.

The first night at Kukaku's had been peaceful, Ichigo getting a room of similar size to his own to rest in. Yoruichi had elected to keep staying with him, making it almost like a good night's sleep at home. Unfortunately, Ganju had been there when they had gotten up to speak with their host about a way into the walls. He was still rather sore about the thrashing Ichigo had given him the day before, but he felt free to insult Ichigo as if he was a true Shinigami as long as the teen was in his home.

"Ganju! Keep antagonizing one of my guests and I _will_ throw you out for a few years!" Kukaku had taken an instant liking to Ichigo, often engaging in conversation with him throughout the day that had been spent trying to figure out how to use the Shiba clan's special cannon sphere. It would use Reiryoku to fuel an energy shield that would pierce the barriers of Seireitei, but it would violently explode if destabilized. Everyone had managed to finish in time for dinner, many hard lessons in controlling his own power allowing Ichigo to finish nearly as fast as Uryu had.

"He's one of those damn Shinigami! I don't care if he doesn't agree with what the rest of them are doing right now, all Shinigami are the same." Kukaku sighed as her brother showed his prejudice, it was bad enough that he insisted on going in with them, he could at least be polite to them all. She wondered if he would be speaking that way if he knew they were cousins. Yoruichi had already told her, but she hadn't told Ganju since he was terrible at keeping secrets.

"Ganju, I am not a Shinigami. I have Shinigami powers, but I am in no way affiliated with the Gotei 13. You don't have to like me, but if we are going into battle together, at least show me some respect." The Shiba siblings and Yoruichi both turned toward Ichigo as he spoke out, he had been content to hold his peace so far, but it appeared that he was finished listening to Ganju for the night.

"Hmm! I guess I can tolerate you until this is over, but stop making those eyes at my sister if you want my respect." Ichigo turned away without responding, blushing slightly at the insinuation. It made Kukaku and Yoruichi giggle, especially since they knew he hadn't even been looking. Orihime was, apparently still enthralled at the idea that hers could be that big one day.

"Alright, we have a rough few days ahead of us, and we should rest before we launch this mini-invasion of ours. Meet at the platform tomorrow, we launch early." Yoruichi padded after Ichigo as he went back to the room that he had stayed in the night before, readying to sleep on his chest once more when he turned around and looked at her.

"Why don't you stay with Kukaku-san tonight? You two are obviously friends, and I doubt you've seen much of each other recently. I'll be fine on my own for one more night." Yoruichi shook her head as she continued to follow Ichigo, Kukaku giggling at the kind gesture. Ichigo had gotten over his anger at Yoruichi for hiding her speech and intelligence from him, and was beginning to get attached to her again.

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"Why did we agree to get shot out of a cannon again? I do believe that Orihime shouting how cool it would be is not an argument based in logic. Chad? Ichigo?" Uryu ducked his head as he was ignored in favor of group focus to power the shield, his wish to use a less suicidal sounding entry method shot down in favor of the faster way.

"EVERYONE ALRIGHT IN THERE?! LET'S GET THIS THING STARTED THEN!" Hysteric laughter came from outside of the giant cannon the group had willingly entered, making it harder to focus on the cannon sphere than it already was. Chanting began to rise from outside, obviously some form of Kido given its structure of couplets.

The barrier generated by their sphere rose just as the temperature inside the cannon did, flames of Reiryoku alight outside. In the next second they were launched into the air, Ganju unraveling the second half of the Kido chant that had been used to shoot them. His chants guided them over the exact center of the barrier, a slight pause before they were launched straight into the field above the Seireitei.

"Alright, this is it, everyone hold on so we don't get separated!" The orb broke apart after making it through the barrier, dispelling so as to not explode from the massive expenditure of energy to pierce the shield. When the group struck the ground, two Shinigami were waiting for them. A bald man holding his scabbarded sword in his hand, and an effeminately handsome man with garish feather accessories on his right eye.

"Go! No sense in all of us slowing down. I'll take these two, get out and start looking!" With a number of quick nods, everyone save Ganju left Ichigo to face the two opponents. It was obvious that neither were fukutaicho or taicho due to the lack of haori and armband, but staying altogether during a fight would draw attention from more Shinigami.

"You don't tell me what to do, I'll take the girly one!" Ganju whipped his arm forward and a small firecracker blew up at the feet of the mentioned Shinigami, who followed Ganju as he ran away. Ichigo sighed and turned to the bald man, who was busy doing some form of odd dance, extending his arms as he tip-toed around and shouting lucky. Ichigo shook his head and drew his Zanpakutou, unwilling to turn his back on the prospective opponent.

"WOOO! LUCKY! Ah, that was my lucky dance, now tell me your name before we cross blades. In Squad Eleven, it is customary to give your name before a battle of blades, so that whomever you face knows exactly who killed them. I am Madarame Ikkaku, third seat of Squad Eleven." Ichigo stopped for a moment as he realized that this man was serious. He took a moment to take a short bow that kept the man in his view.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. May the best swordsman win." Ikkaku laughed loudly as Ichigo finished his introduction, drawing his blade and taking a stance of his own as Ichigo returned to his guard. A few quick strikes came from Ikkaku's scabbard, all of them deflected by Ichigo's wakizashi, both fighters using their sealed blades.

"You're good. You know, maybe it's because you have Ichi in your name like me, but I like you. Your luck won't hold out forever though, I have decades of experience in life or death battles that you lack." Ichigo didn't respond, instead lashing out with his katana to wound Ikkaku above his elbow. The counter strike was deflected with the pommel of Ichigo's wakizashi, keeping him from getting cut above his eye. "You can't be this good on luck, who taught you?"

This time, Ichigo took a moment to think, keeping his guard up the whole time. "I guess I've had two masters. The man who created my particular style, Musashi Miyamoto, and the man that taught me what a cross of blades to the death would mean, Urahara Kisuke." Both names seemed to stir a reaction from Ikkaku, the first of recognition and the second of caution.

"So the swordsman unrivalled under the heavens, and the renegade taicho are responsible for your skill. It seems that I can't afford to hold back. **Nobiro, Hozukimaru!**" Ikkaku slammed the pommel of his blade into his scabbard, both enveloped with a red light as they formed into a naginata, red horsehair tassels hanging below the blade and above the butt.

Ikkaku took the offensive once again, sending a slice over his shoulder that Ichigo parried with his wakizashi. He continued with a horizontal slash, Ichigo stopped it with his katana, only to see Ikkaku's smirk widen. "**Sakero, Hozukimaru!**" Ikkaku's weapon segmented itself, becoming a three bar staff with a blade on end. The bladed end moved around Ichigo's weapon, scoring a light blow on his right shoulder as he tried to get out of its way.

Ikkaku began striking more rapidly now, spinning his weapon to add centrifugal force to his blows. Thrusts from one end were followed immediately with slashes from the other, leaving Ichigo unable to attack. Until he surprised Ikkaku with one of his special skills, something he had been told most Shinigami were incapable of. "**Hadou no sanjuuichi, Shakkaho!**" The blast of red flames came from the end of his wakizashi, striking Ikkaku full in the face and leaving him open for a finisher. The officer of the Gotei 13 blacked feeling a stabbing pain in his stomach.

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Ikkaku shook his head from side to side as he got up, trying to clear his head and remember what he had been doing. "Yo, good thing you're up. I thought that I might be bad at Reiryoku healing or something." He turned his head to see Ichigo, remembering the fight now that he heard his voice. "Just so you know, I'm not planning on killing any Shinigami while I'm here. I just want you to tell me where Kuchiki Rukia is and I'll be on my way."

"HAHAHAHA! Kid, you're crazy. I guess since I lived, I can tell you that and more. She is in the repentant cells, that's the big tower over there." He stopped speaking for a moment to point out a massive white tower, appearing taller than it actually was due to the elevation of its base. "Go ahead and grab her, if you can. Just so you know, my taicho is likely to be around there, and since I bet you are the strongest of your group, he will attack you. I'd describe him for you, but you'll know when you see him." Ichigo nodded and left, Ikkaku struggling to stand and bring himself in for more than emergency treatment.

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Yoruichi was sneaking around outside of the library of Central 46, searching for a way in that she could access in her cat form. She wished that she could have stayed by Ichigo, but she knew that her mission was separate from his. A small window caught her eye, giving her the access she needed to enter the heavily guarded building. Thankfully, no one be allowed inside while intruders were in the Seireitei, meaning she would be safe while inside.

She crept to one of the computer stations, searching for the information Kisuke had requested. He had wanted to know where all of his old research had been stored, and she had wanted to know if she had been exiled or declared missing. Her eyes widened as she saw who had been given charge of Kisuke's old possessions, expecting it to be his old third seat. Instead she saw the name of the man responsible for their exile from Seireitei. She powered off the computer and ran out to her and Kisuke's old base, there were some items there that would be useful to gather.

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Chad had elected to go on his own, knocking any Shinigami that came towards him unconscious with sheer force. Uryu had suggested that splitting up may be the fastest way to find Rukia and get home, Orihime staying with him since she didn't want to be forced into combat. Oddly, he found that the Shinigami rarely bothered to search buildings. Since that discovery he had moved from building to building, saving his energy but moving more slowly.

He had noticed one of those black butterflies the Shinigami used to pass messages while hiding, and had been slowly following it in hope it would lead him to someone that knew where Rukia was. Every once in a while there would be a stretch of space with no actual buildings, and during those times he would fight any that tried to stop him. He finally slowed as he saw an archway ahead of him, a larger building looking somewhat like a barracks behind it.

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Uryu was beginning to regret suggesting that they split up. So far, he and Orihime had been able to dodge any pursuers, but they were making no headway in finding a lead to take them to Rukia. He really hoped that Ichigo, Chad, and Ganju had been able to find something, he wasn't sure how long it would take for them to execute her. He turned and saw a large figure standing behind Orihime, raising his sword to strike her.

A bow came from the glove on his right hand as he fired an arrow at coward, forcing him to step back. "You move to strike a woman, and even worse, you try it from behind? I thought that even Shinigami frowned at such acts outside the Onmitsukido." The large man humphed and turned to face the new opponent, an arrogant smirk on his face.

"So, you are a projectile user as well. You should give up now, as I, Kamaitachi no Jirobo am the greatest projectile user in Seireitei. I am also the fourth seat of the Seventh Division, as compared to a mere human like you." Uryu simply raised his bow for another shot, Orihime running to stand slightly behind him on his left. Her hands went to her hairpins in preparation to give defensive support. "Hm. Maybe this will make you change your mind. **Habatakinasai, Tsunzakigarasu!**"

He put his sword vertically in front of himself, pushing down on the tip with his offhand. His Reiatsu rose as his sword was replace with an array of flying blades, their number increasing as he repeatedly sheathed and redrew what was left of his blade. "See the power of my Zanpakutou, I can summon enough flying blades to overwhelm any foe!" Uryu chuckled, before the area in front of him was awash in a sea of blue, all of the blades destroyed a moment later.

"If you were as good as you say, you'd be a taicho. I am far better with ranged attacks than you could ever hope to be, but I guess Kamaitachi no Uryu doesn't have much of a ring to it." He ignored Orihime as she insisted that she found it cool, and fired three more arrows, striking his foe in his right hand, Soul Chain, and Soul Sleep. "You will never have the powers of a Shinigami again, and will never use a sword again either. Reflect on your arrogance and poor decisions, and remember that it was a Quincy that beat you."

Uryu turned with a dramatic flap of his cape, proud beyond measure that all of his hard work making it had given him this epic moment to stand still as it blew in the wind. That was ruined when Orihime ran up to him, looking ready to break out in tears. "I'm sorry, Ishida-kun. I was careless and he almost got me. I promise, I'll do my best not to be a burden like that anymore."

"As long as you understand that we really are in danger here, that should be enough. Let's go, Orihime. I want to be there when Ichigo saves Rukia." The two walked off, trying to think of a way to find Rukia that would allow them to walk on the ground.

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Ichigo was upset. He had found Ganju pretty beat up, but the loud man had claimed himself victorious. No, he was upset because Ganju decided to find him by shooting fireworks in the air to attract his attention. That wouldn't have been so bad, if it hadn't attracted _everyone's_ attention. Ganju had then kidnapped a poor boy and held him hostage in an escape attempt, only to find that none of their foes cared.

"Ganju, I see why you hate Shinigami. I mean, isn't losing the assistance of a healer a major strategic failure, and these guys are both dumb and cruel enough not to care? Oh well, guess we'll just NOW!" Ganju threw one of his pepper bombs down as the three escaped, for some reason their captive had decided to follow them. It took a while for the stinging sensation in his eyes to die down, but thankfully he had been able to hold his breath as they ran for freedom.

"Alright, I found out where Rukia is being held, as soon as we recover, we need to find a way there. She is apparently in the Penance cell or something like that in the big tower, any ideas for getting there unnoticed?" Ganju just shook his head, while their Shinigami hostage raised his hand to speak.

"Um… I can get you most of the way there in the sewers. No one but Squad Four uses them anyway, and you and Rukia have been nicer to me than most of the other Shinigami." Ganju and Ichigo stared at the quiet boy offering to betray his home to help them, sadness that he was treated so poorly visible in both of their features. "Oh, I'm Hanatarou by the way. Yamada Hanatarou, seventh seat of Squad Four."

Ichigo smiled a little he nodded to Hanatarou, gesturing at the door of the building they were hiding in. "Alright, Hanatarou, lead the way."

**Endnote: Sorry about being a day late coming off**** from that long hiatus, I've been watching the anime again to see if any of the filler should be used and now it's hard to write characters differently than they are in canon. Ganju's fight isn't going to be included outside of a short reference, since I imagine it will be as boring as it was in canon. See you next week.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo has nice sunglasses.**

**Author Note: Greetings! This chapter features ****Ichigo fighting Renji, and Chad beating up people from Squad Eight until Kyoraku shows up. I hope y'all enjoy, and continue supporting this endeavor.**

Chad was beginning to regret following that butterfly, as it had literally led him to a barracks full of Shinigami. He had spent close to four hours running around, barely fighting, and now he was thrown more troops than he wanted to count. The only upside so far, was that relatively few of them had attacked him, and none that were actually good enough to warrant effort.

Some guy had stopped in front of him and began moving his sword across his body quickly, but Chad had ignored the man's attempt to give him his name and just uppercutted him someplace far away. He knew that his luck wouldn't hold out against a taicho, but he was confident in defeating most of the other ranks. He watched as what men were there all stood back and stared at him, nervousness in their posture.

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"Nanao-chan, why are you so mean to me?!" Kyoraku Shunsui was known for many things in the Gotei 13, these being his friendship with Ukitake Jushiro, him being a master fighter with one of the two pairs of dual Zanpakutou, and being a massive flirt. One thing that he had managed to hide, however, was how he allows his fukutaicho Ise Nanao to treat him. That being as though he was completely worthless.

"Kyoraku-taicho! There is a man smashing our troops out there, and he just sent that guy you made fourth seat for getting you to laugh into orbit! Yet you told me not to go out there and fight him, that's why I hit you right now." Nanao was a very serious person, and one of the few people that could get Kyoraku to do any kind of work. She had her dark hair pulled into a bun, and glasses that she was never seen without.

"I just said that because I thought it was safer if I went out to fight him. I worry about you, Nanao-chan. I don't know what I would do if you were hurt." His declaration was met with Nanao turning her back and blushing, most likely getting ready to slap him again for flirting with her, but when she moved to look at him again, he had already gone.

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"Hey there, how about you and I sit down for a drink and talk about this? No reason for all this violence right now, is there?" Chad looked at the effeminately dressed man that was speaking to him, recognizing the small amount of visible white making him a taicho. Talking would probably be more useful than fighting this opponent, but he had to make sure.

"I'm sorry, but I am a minor and can't drink. As for talking, I only want to know where Kuchiki Rukia is. If you tell me, I will leave you alone and head there." Shunsui sighed, standing up and drawing both of his swords. Chad began preparing for his energy attack, hoping to get a surprise attack in and even the odds for the fight.

"That's a shame. I would like to tell you, but unfortunately I was thinking more along the lines of you surrendering. There is also the matter of you invading my home. I really hope you are as tough as you look." Chad fired his energy blast as soon as his opponent finished talking, only to recoil when he saw that it missed. "Lots of power in that attack, based off what you just did to my poor barracks. Good thing you're too slow to hit me."

The other Shinigami in the area got behind their fukutaicho, who made a barrier to stop any attacks from endangering them. The fight continued, Chad firing blasts and Shunsui dodging them, riddling the walls around the barracks with large holes. "Why do you want to find Rukia anyway? You can't have become that good of friends with her." Chad ignored his foe's questions at the moment, attempting to hit him directly with his fists. He felt a slash across his chest, but continued attacking through the pain.

"I fight to save Rukia because Ichigo wants to. Ichigo and I made a promise once, to protect what the other found important. He finds Rukia important, and so, I will protect her. I owe him that." Shunsui sighed, before using shunpo and knocking Chad unconscious.

"Get him into a cell, preferably at the Fourth for Unohana-taicho to heal his chest. I'm going to discuss this with Jushiro." Nanao complied, sending a runner to bring information while several squad members and herself carried the large man to the ordered barracks. Shunsui stood still a moment longer, weighing his thoughts about what he would say to his oldest friend.

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Hanatarou had led them through the sewers for close to an hour, before the group went up a ladder that marked the nearest entrance to the tower. "Why do you want to save this chick anyway? You got a serious crush or just too chivalrous for your own good?" Ichigo looked back at Ganju with a more irritated than usual scowl. The burly fireworks expert backed away, wary of earning another beating from the far superior combatant.

"I owe her. As much trouble as I gave her when she tried to force me to be her substitute while her powers were gone, she gave me the powers that saved my family and freed my mother from the Hollow that consumed her. She managed to become a friend in the time we spent together as well, and there isn't a single one of my friends that I wouldn't do this for." The others looked at him, until a voice snapped back into focus.

"It's your fault that she is going to be executed, and there is nothing you can do about it! Don't worry though, I'll make sure you suffer the same fate." Renji walked down the set of stairs towards the three of them, Shikai already released. Ichigo put both his hands on his katana, entering an Iaido stance. Hanatarou and Ganju backed away, hoping to avoid being dragged into combat.

"If you care about her as much as you seem to, than you should just let us pass. I don't know what relationship you have with her, but I bet that you haven't even tried to help her. Don't be such a hypocrite, and stop blaming others for your problems. Rukia was injured by a Hollow and temporarily transferred her powers to me, though in reality they seemed to unlike separate powers since my Zanpakutou manifested as two blades."

Renji swung his blade, using the reach advantage he had with his Shikai to throw Ichigo off balance. At least, that had been his idea, before the top segment of his blade was cut off by a quick draw-slash. Ichigo wasted no time, drawing his second blade and firing a **Byakurai** at Renji, who managed to avoid thanks to his training with his taicho. Renji attempted to whip his blade at Ichigo again, maintaining a pattern of three strikes before his sword would flow back to him.

Ichigo quickly noticed this pattern, and dashed after the third strike of the blade on the next attack. He felt a stabbing pain in his shoulder, however, when a fourth attack came from the end of the blade behind him. "Just because an opponent uses a certain attack pattern, doesn;t mean that they are incapable of more. My experience and increased abilities without that stupid limiter will show you the difference between a real Shinigami and scum like you."

Renji's smirk turned to a frown as he heard Ichigo start chuckling, and his eyes shot wide open as he saw the substitute Shinigami stand up, ignoring the deep wound he had gained. "You want to see the difference between us? I'll show you. **Azumanohikari ni taishite josho no jisan: Kogane no Taiyō no Kōtei!**" Familiar golden light surrounded Ichigo's blades, their shape changing as his power coursed through them. The katana's blade lengthened, lost its curve and became wavy in appearance, the gold light causing an illusion that made it look like it was on fire. The wakizashi became thicker and straightened, before the spine of the blade became hollow, light gathering where its center formerly stood.

"Impossible! How could some fake like you unlock Shikai, you've barely had the power a couple months!" Ichigo shot a glare at Renji now, aggravated that he had been forced to increase his power to fight someone this lame. In a burst of light, Ichigo flew at Renji, who barely managed to get his guard up in time to avoid being cut in half. That was exactly what Ichigo had wanted though, as **Zabimaru** shattered while trying to stop the focused impact that the flamed design created.

Hanatarou and Ganju went to Ichigo, examining his shoulder wound as he treated the large gash he had put in Renji's torso. "Hanatarou, make sure I'm doing this right and that Renji will be okay. I don't like him, but killing Shinigami is no way to prove our intentions aren't hostile." The group continued their walk in a few minutes, Ichigo untouched save for that surprise attack.

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Ichigo was glad that the scabbards changed with his Zanpakutou, as he felt that leaving them unsealed was a smarter idea for the moment. About halfway to the tower, Ichigo and his group stopped short, Ichigo reaching for his stomach. 'What was that? I felt like I just got stabbed again?" Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted as he heard the tinkling of bells behind him. He ducked and felt the breeze of a sword slicing over his head.

"HAHAHA! I guess Ikkaku was right, you are good. Since you heard the bells, We are gonna fight." Ichigo's eyes widened as he regarded a person even taller than Chad, with a vicious grin and a sword with so many notches, he was amazed it could cut anything without sawing through it. "Well, are you gonna fight or just sit there and die?" Ichigo quickly made a choice and decided that if anyone in his group would survive this taicho, it was him.

"Ganju, Hanatarou! Get to Rukia, I'll hold him here!" The two of them nodded, running before they were crushed by the large man's presence. Ichigo drew his blades and squared himself, quickly dashing in the other direction of his friends to build some distance.

"Hey! I thought you were gonna fight! Come on, I'll give you a free first shot!" Ichigo stopped when he heard this and turned around, seeing that his opponent was serious. 'If he is gonna give me a free shot, might as well take it. I doubt that I'll kill him in one blow, even with him open like that, but if I can gauge his strength that'll be enough.' He charged the taicho and swung his blade at his neck, only to stop on shock as only a thin line of blood appeared. There was barely enough to say he cut him, it was as if his sword was made of paper.

"Good job. You actually cut me, no matter how little, and I like that. Now, my turn." Ichigo was quickly thrown on the defensive, deflecting the decrepit nodachi that his foe kept swinging like it was a feather. "Not bad, but I'm Zaraki Kenpachi, the most blood-thirsty of all Shinigami. My sword is stained with more blood than you can imagine, and you're going down next!" Ichigo had never felt so outmatched before, and to make matters worse, he felt Chad's Reiatsu severely diminish. Kenpachi kept laughing as Ichigo continued attempting to cut him, making small cuts that didn't even faze the near berserk swordsman.

"**Hado Rokujuusan: Raikoho!**" A mass of yellow lightning burst from Ichigo's shorter blade, successfully tossing Kenpachi off his feet and through several walls. Ichigo had finally managed to correctly perform that Kido when he was training with Urahara, but it tired him to use without the incantation. Just as he finished catching his breath and stood straight up, more laughter came from the rubble that his opponent was in.

"I prefer to fight without any of those gimmicks, but you have been fun. Let's finish this." A towering yellow skull lit up behind Kenpachi's figure, his eyepatch torn off and his whole body burned. Ichigo backed away in shock, switching to a two-handed grip on his larger sword. He upped his Reiatsu as high as he could, eventually his figure was swallowed by his white-gold aura, still not quite as high as Kenpachi's. "THAT'S WHAT I WANT! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Kenpachi and Ichigo both charged, their Reiatsu literally tearing apart their surroundings. The rubble where Kenpachi had landed was lifting off of the ground, and the damaged stones near Ichigo were pushed away from him as he ran. A shockwave flared when the two connected, leaving a crater twenty feet deep at its epicenter. At the bottom, Kenpachi was on the ground nearly bisected. There was a wide smile on his face, his breath coming slow and ragged.

Blood dripped from Ichigo's mouth, landing on the handle of the ragged blade going through his right lung. He dropped to his knees as his sword slipped from his limp fingers. He wrapped both of his hands around the weapon in his chest, and used every bit of strength he had left to tug it free, wincing and biting back a scream as he felt its heavily notched edge saw through his body. Cracked white fragments resembling porcelain fell from the hole in his Shihakusho, his last conscious thought the sound it made as it struck the ground.

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Uryu really wished that things would go better for him right now. Orihime had suggested that they steal uniforms so that they could walk around more discreetly, and it had worked for about an hour. Then, some weird guy that looked kind of like a sadistic clown had sent exploding Shinigami at the two of them. That wouldn't be so bad, but said person was also a taicho, and Uryu knew there was only one way he was beating one of them.

"Run, Orihime! I can keep him away from you, just try to find Chad! You're the only one that can heal him." He fired a group of arrows at the man, which were intercepted by the buxom young woman that had been following him. Orihime steeled her gaze and nodded, determined to be useful in this mission. She began running away, her **Santen Kesshun** behind her to deflect attacks.

"I've been wondering what she was. I've never seen a power quite like her's before… Nemu, chase her down!" When no response was forthcoming, he looked down and saw the numerous wounds from the Reishi arrows dotting his fukutaicho. "Useless! I'll just deal with this bug and grab her myself. **Kakimushire, Ashisogi Jizo!**" The so far barely touched Zanpakutou morphed, its blade becoming a golden trident head with crooked points, the middle blade being the longest.

In the next moment, Uryu watched as his foe disappeared; then grabbed onto his left arm, pain coming from a stab wound in his forearm. "Interesting, isn't it? My Zanpakutou causes localized paralysis, like certain spider bites, but it doesn't carry the side-effect that makes it a numbing agent. This way, you'll be helpless to move, yet still get to enjoy all of the delicious pain." The face-splitting smile affirmed Uryu's opinion that he was fighting a sadistic clown. This time, the taicho saw Uryu disappear, though he turned and deflected the arrow that flew at him.

"A Quincy your age able to use both **Hirenkyaku **and **Ransotengai**? If I hadn't already studied all the Quincy had to offer, I'd make you a test subject." Uryu felt his blood chill at the idea that one of his ancestors may have been dissected by this lunatic. The feeling would get even worse as he saw the woman from before crawling up to her taicho.

"Mayuri-sama, please heal me. His arrows were more powerful than I expected, please." Her pleas were met with Mayuri's feet, as he began stomping on her. Uryu felt bile rise in his throat as he saw the merciless beating, the woman lacking the strength to try and stop any of the strikes.

"Stupid girl! I made you, Nemu, that boy's powers shouldn't even scratch you!" Whimpers escaped from Nemu as he continued to beat her, only stopping when Uryu could no longer bare witness to his cruelty.

"I can't allow you to hurt her. I don't care if you somehow made her, or if you are her taicho. Real men don't abuse women, and they don't sacrifice their subordinates pointlessly. You are living proof that the Shinigami don't really care what happens to people. I'll be correcting that mistake." A slight gust of wind blew just in time to make Uryu's mantle billow, once more making him feel far cooler than usual.

"Heh, they care. It cost me money to delay the guards that were supposed to save that Quincy, and his soul was only barely preserved enough for me to study. You should feel lucky this isn't six years ago, I would be dissecting you by now." Uryu went from feeling noble and cool, to enraged within a second. There were few enough Quincys in the world of the living that he had a good idea just who had been used in these experiments.

"You… IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT HE'S DEAD!" Mayuri tilted his head as Uryu Reiatsu rose dramatically, his arm forced into grabbing one of the spines of the Sanrei glove. There were some things about the Quincy that every high-ranking Shinigami knew, stemming from the war between the two a thousand years prior. Mayuri raised his own power when he realized what Uryu was about to do, resulting in two simultaneous shouts. "**LETZT STIL!**"

"**Bankai, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!**" Bursts of red and blue Reiatsu clashed, as the two most powerful Quincy & Shinigami techniques clashed for the first time in millennia. Mayuri's Zanpakutou had turned into a monstrous centipede, attached to the torso of a giant golden baby. Purple mist obscured Uryu's location for a moment, resulting in laughter from Mayuri. "Seems I struck first, fool. That is a poisonous mist that only Nemu and I carry the antidote for."

Mayuri's merriment was cut short, however, as he saw the walls of the corridor around them break down into Reishi. A blue flash lit the area inside the mist, and the giant Bankai was split in half. Mayuri looked down, to see that the area had continued, removing most of his chest and destroying several buildings behind him. The mist cleared to show Uryu, a blue wing of Reishi coming from his right shoulder and silver armor covering his left side.

"That was for my grandfather, scum." Mayuri turned into a puddle of green slime, sinking down a storm drain as it cursed Uryu as loudly as it could. Uryu began coughing as he walked to where Nemu was, blood spilling from his lips. "Are you alright? I can't believe that he could care so little as to treat you that way." A slight smile came from the girl, as she removed a small bottle from her robes.

"Thank you for being so kind, and letting Mayuri-sama live. This is the antidote, please, take it. I'm immune already, so I don't need any." Uryu met her eyes and nodded, refraining from telling her that he hadn't met to let Mayuri live. He downed the contents of the vial and tore what remained of his mantle into strips, bandaging Nemu before he walked away.

A man with dark skin, goggles, and a white haori stood on a flight of stairs; blocking Uryu's path as he struggled to continue moving. "**Nake, Suzumushi**." An ear-splittingly high-pitched tone made the Quincy hold his ears in pain for a few seconds, before his Letzt Stil ran out of power and he dropped to his knees in his previous clothing.

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Ichigo awoke with a start, not recognizing any of his surroundings. He sat up gingerly, delicately examining the new bandages going over his chest wound from Zaraki. "I see you're up. Considering the fact that you fought that berserker, you should feel lucky to be alive." Ichigo turned to see Yoruichi, until she raked her claws across his face. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! You should have ran, not gotten into a measuring contest, especially right after you beat one of the better fukutaicho!" Ichigo sighed, rubbing his fresh scratches with only his left hand to avoid stretching his right side.

"I needed to protect Ganju and Hanatarou, and he would have chased me. I trust the others to save Rukia if I don't make it. I want to survive, obviously, but she isn't the only person I want to protect." Yoruichi hung her head a little, she hadn't really wanted to upset him; she had just gotten worried when she realized who he was fighting.

"Hey, who brought me here? I mean, you're a great cat Yoruichi, but just because you can talk doesn't mean that I'd believe it was you. Was it Chad? Uryu?" Yoruichi shook her head as he made suggestions, a smirk coming to her face as she thought about what she was going to do. "Well, I doubt it, but was it Orihime? I know it can't have been Ganju or Hanatarou."

"Actually, if you close your eyes for five seconds, I'll show you who carried you here. Just as a hint, it was the same person that brought you to Kisuke's place." Ichigo closed his eyes as requested, a little irritated at both this 'game' and the poor hint. He had no clue who had brought him then, he had been having hallucinations about that woman he dreamed up the night Yuzu changed the name they referred to the cat by to Yoruichi.

After hearing a popping sound, and smelling small amounts of smoke, Ichigo opened his eyes. He promptly shut them again when he realized his hallucinations were returning. A sultry voice sounded right next to his ear, whispering with just enough air for him to feel breath breath caress his ear. "Awww… I thought that you would like seeing my real form, Ichigo. I know I enjoyed all the sneak peeks I took at yours." Ichigo's eyes shot wide open, as he stared completely entranced by the woman before him.

Yoruichi was surprised that Ichigo was continuing to look. Her experience in his room and on his computer telling her that this was the first time her would really remember seeing a woman naked, and she assumed his chivalrous side would result in him looking away in shame. Instead, she began having trouble holding back a blush as he stared at her, dumbstruck by her beauty. Then, he began to speak.

"I can't believe you're real. I thought that it was just a dream, but you're right here. Yuzu was right, you are a Goddess." Yoruichi was _very_ proud of her looks, and this just proved that she had every right to be. A second later, Ichigo turned around and closed his eyes, his face a brighter red than Renji's hair. Yoruichi immediately began laughing, she doubted that she ever saw anyone turn that shade of red since she took a bath with Soi Fon.

"What's the matter, Ichigo? Are my divine looks too much for you?" She kept giggling while Ichigo mumbled a response, too amused to listen. "I'm afraid that I didn't hear that. Would you mind speaking up for me?" Ichigo once again failed though, as he passed out when he tried to turn around. Yoruichi kept giggling, until she realized his heart rate had accelerated enough to reopen his wound.

"Damn it! Now I have to re bandage him. Oh well, at least I get to see him naked again." Yoruichi was glad that no one was able to hear her chuckle as she went about dressing Ichigo's wounds once more.

**Endnote: Events are not ****exactly in chronological order in this chapter. More information from the Shinigami perspective will show up next time. Next chapter also continues interactions between the two leads of this fic, meaning soon y'all gonna be on the train to Flufftown.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: ****I have a lov-e-ly bunch of coconuts.**

**Author Note: From now on, ****a summary of the last chapter or a small snippet of its ending will be in the start of new chapters. I'm actually excited for this chapter, since now Ichigo and Yoruichi can have fluff that both parties know is happening. Also Bankai training and #Spoilers, but mostly my unending love for fluff.**

Last time: Ichigo defeated both Renji and Kenpachi, Uryu shot Mayuri through the heart, and Chad got his ass handed to him by Kyoraku. The most important event, was the long awaited reveal of Yoruichi's true form to Ichigo. On with the show!

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Hinamori Momo was a truly devoted fukutaicho. This loyalty stemmed from her great admiration for the kind man she was lucky enough to follow, Aizen Sosuke. She remembered to this day what it had been like when she first saw him, he had been promoted several years earlier to the position of taicho, and was at the Academy to spy on new talent. Out of the hundreds of students that had gathered, he had made direct eye-contact with her and smiled.

Then, in her first exercise in the World of the Living, disaster had struck. A large group of Hollows had attacked them, killing a number of students. When she was losing hope, fearing to never see her home or friends again, Aizen had shown himself once more. All of the Hollows were decimated in an instant, Aizen moving to the surviving group and checking for injuries. It was possible she had developed a slight crush on him since then, though she would never admit that.

She had been close friends with several others in the Academy, those being Kira Izuru, Abarai Renji, and, before she had been adopted into her clan, Kuchiki Rukia. Which lead to her current situation. Renji had disappeared during the fukutaichous' meeting, her taicho had been acting suspicious of Izuru's, and Rukia was unfairly scheduled to be executed. Sleep was not going to come easily tonight.

"Aizen-taicho? Do you mind if I come in?" The kindly man turned away from whatever he was writing and smiled at Momo, nodding to her. "Thank you, Taicho. I'm sorry to bother you like this, but I've been really stressed with everything going on recently. I… couldn't sleep." Momo clasped her hands in front of her waist, embarrassed about coming to her taicho for such a minor thing.

"It's alright, Momo. You can stay as long as you like, you're never a bother to me." He smiled once more, then turned back to his writing. Momo idly glanced at the paper, it was too far away to read, but she knew that Aizen had beautiful handwriting. He had even taught calligraphy classes at the Academy. "No peeking, Momo. This is an important letter, one I'm afraid you aren't ready to see." She looked back down, extra nervous knowing that Aizen could apparently see her when she was behind him. That feeling quickly passed though, as it always did. A few minutes later, and she had fallen asleep.

Aizen walked over to Momo, his kind smile still on his face. "Can't let you sleep like that, you might catch a cold." He draped a blanket over her figure, his face turning serious when he stood up. He grabbed his Zanpakutou from next to his desk, and strode out of the office. He turned back for a quick glance at his sleeping fukutaicho, a sigh leaving him. "Sorry Momo, but this is necessary."

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Ichigo awoke once more, his chest still in pain from Kenpachi's sword. It was puzzling that he had even lived. Kenpachi had used more power than himself, yet Ichigo only had a wound in his right side. Kenpachi had nearly been split in two, three inches deeper and he would have been. Then, there was the white material that had fallen out of his Shihakusho, something he didn't remember ever being there.

"Awake again? Good, I put some clothes on so that you don't try and repeat last time." Yoruichi was smirking at Ichigo, who managed to look at her for almost a second before turning away. His face was reddening again, making Yoruichi worry about having to bandage him a third time. "What's wrong, Ichigo? Am I just too beautiful for you to look at even when I'm dressed?"

"Y-Y-Y-YOU AREN'T WEARING PANTS!" Yoruichi looked down, having spent so much time as a cat that wearing clothes was distinctly uncomfortable. She practically pouted as she slipped the rest of her outfit on, sighing in disappointment that Ichigo was lucid enough to be gentlemanly.

"Fine, I put some on. I don't get why you want me to wear clothes though, I look much better naked. It's also more comfortable, I think you should try it some time." 'I really hope you do try it some time, hiding what you've got should be illegal.' Ichigo turned back around, thankfully unable to hear Yoruichi's more explicit thoughts. He even managed to suppress most of his blush, although the sinfully tight black outfit Yoruichi was wearing would hardly be counted as clothing in his town.

"Tell me what happened while I was unconscious, is everything alright?" Ichigo was actually staring Yoruichi dead in her eyes the whole time he spoke, ignoring how uncomfortably warm he was at the moment. It was thanks to this he managed to notice a bright gleam enter Yoruichi's eyes. The warmth he felt quickly cooled as the icy grasp of fear wrapped him in an embrace.

"Well, there is going to be a scar, but that only adds to your attractiveness. Also, the second time you passed out 'it' was impressively large and hard, so no worries there." Yoruichi probably would have continued her enthusiastic retelling of her experience bandaging Ichigo, if not for her worry that it would lead to even more time spent doing so. Still, teasing him was quickly becoming a favorite activity.

"NOT THAT! I meant tell me about the others! Wait… why would I be completely naked while you dressed wounds on my chest?" Yoruichi completely ignored Ichigo's latest question, thankful that her skin was dark enough it was hard to see her blush. It was Ichigo's fault for passing out in the first place.

"Ganju and that mousy kid you met up with are on their way to Rukia's cell, though there is likely danger there. Chad and Uryu have both been caught, while Orihime has been… adopted by Kenpachi and his fukutaicho. He's kept her hidden so far, but I don't know how long that will last."

Ichigo nodded, and adjusted his blades. He walked to the entrance/exit of the room he was in with Yoruichi, but stopped himself when he saw how high up and far away he was from the tower. "Yoruichi, how did you get me up here? I'm pretty sure that it would burn a lot of power and make your position obvious to air-walk here." Yoruichi's eyes narrowed, but she grabbed a cylindrical object resembling a wand. The tip was shaped like a bird's skull, with four hooked bone protrusions coming from the back of it..

"I used this, it allows the person holding it to fly. All that's required is to channel Reiryoku into it." Ichigo held out his hand, clearly asking if he could examine the object closer. Yoruichi handed it to him, only to leap back as the wing membrane flowed from the protrusions. "What are you doing?! You're still injured, Ichigo, you don't stand a chance against any of the taicho in your condition!"

"I know that you can feel Byakuya's Reiatsu the same as I can. I'm going to help Ganju and Hanatarou, keep yourself safe, Yoruichi." He flew off as soon as he finished his sentence, leaving a frustrated Yoruichi behind.

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(Slightly before)

"Ganju-san, that's the cell Rukia is in. I think I can get us past the guards, just follow me." The duo scaled the tower behind the guards, stopping on the awning directly above them. Hanatarou pulled a small vial from his Shihakusho, dripping a tiny amount of liquid on both of the guards under them. They both fell to the ground immediately, dropping their sasumata and breathing lightly.

"I don't know what you just did to them, and I don't want to. You can be one hell of a scary kid, Hanatarou." Ganju opened the doors into the cell, stopping dead when he saw the Shinigami inside. "You… I can't believe he's trying to save you! You're the one that killed him!" Rukia's fair skin paled further when she heard those words, thoughts of her past returning to haunt her. Ganju backed out of the cell, allowing Hanatarou in to set Rukia free. A voice from across the bridge drew him from his thoughts, sinking all three of their hearts.

"I see that I was right to come here. Return the prisoner to her cell, and I might not have to execute you." Ganju stood in front of Hanatarou and Rukia, the only person in their group able to take the Reiatsu he was pushing out. He drew the wide knife he wore on his back, his face in a position between a smirk and a grimace.

"There's no way that Shiba Ganju will be known as a coward, Shinigami. I don't care about this woman, but Ichigo trusts us to help him." He held his knife in a reverse grip, valiantly keeping his expression confident. The effeminate man in front of him drew his sword slowly, allowing the ring it made to echo before speaking.

"Forgive me. If I had known you were from a noble clan, I would have taken you seriously to begin with. **Chire: Senbonzakura**." A soft pink glow enshrouded his sword, the blade disappearing as though carried away on a soft breeze. Ganju looked around, noticing what looked like sakura petals floating around him. "Goodbye, member of the Shiba clan. Hopefully your next life in the cycle of reincarnation gives you the power to make better decisions."

Ganju's eyes went wide when the petals surrounding him closed in, blood splattering the white stone of the bridge. Byakuya stepped over his body as he walked to Rukia, his sword scabbarded once more. He jumped back as a Kido flew by his head, Ichigo landing between him and his sister. "I'm here to save you Rukia. Hanatarou, good job getting her out." Ichigo's eyes focused on Ganju, thankful that some level of energy could still be felt from him.

"You again? I am five times stronger here than in your world, and you couldn't handle me then. What makes you think you have a chance?" Byakuya drew his sword, shocked when a small tear showed in his sleeve. He had blinked out of view, winding up a sword's length from Ichigo.

"I can follow and counter your moves now, and I just fought another taicho to a close victory. You aren't as intimidating as he was." Ichigo was thankful that Rukia was too stunned to speak yet, otherwise she would probably be yelling at him for coming to rescue her. Byakuya launched a second offensive, high slashes aimed for Ichigo's head and low stabs at his center of mass deflected with similar effort.

The short exchange was halted as Byakuya disengaged, bringing his sword vertically in front of him. His sword flared for a moment, before what appeared to be bandages wrapped around his blade, stopping his Shikai from activating. The figure that held the bandages flickered, Ichigo looking down to see their hand in the wound from Kenpachi. He passed out once more beginning to get irritated with how often that had been happening lately.

Yoruichi almost sighed, but kept herself aware of her surroundings. She ducked under a slash from Byakuya, flickering in place to land atop his sword when he attempted to stab her. "Nice try, Byakuya-bo, but I can't let you fight Ichigo yet. Give me three days, and he'll beat you. Oh, and don't even try to follow me, there's no way you'll be able to keep up." Yoruichi disappeared with a wink, a new voice stalling him before he could follow her.

"Kuchiki-taicho! What's going on, I felt you release your Zanpakuto?" A pale man with white hair, stood on the far side of the bridge from Rukia and Hanatarou. "Rukia?" She looked away from her taicho, barely managing to bring herself back inside the tower.

"You didn't hear about what happened this morning, Ukitake-taicho? We have been granted authorization to use our powers as we see fit after Aizen's death." Ukitake's eyes widened, coughs beginning to wrack his frame as he dealt with the surprise. Two more Shinigami showed themselves, grabbing onto their taicho and leaving without a word.

111111111111111

(Significantly earlier)

Momo opened her eyes, noticing a blanket fall as she sat up. "Aizen-taicho? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep in your office…" She trailed off when she realized that her taicho wasn't in the room. She folded the blanket he had gave her, walking out of the room and heading around the corner to her room. A silent group standing and staring at something up on the wall caught her attention, her own eyes following the gazes of her fellows.

"**AIZEN-TAICHO!**" Momo's scream caused everyone staring to snap out of their trance, several high level Shinigami running towards her. She fell to her knees, tears flowing freely down her face. Aizen Sosuke's body was anchored to the wall by his own Zanpakuto, a massive blood-stain all around him.

"Such a shame. I wonder who could have done that?" Gin's omnipresent smile hadn't faded in the slightest, morphing Momo's grief into rage. She stood and drew her blade, another scream echoing from her as she attempted to strike the one person she knew Aizen didn't trust.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS! **HAJIKE: TOBIUME!**" Momo's katana straightened, before extra prongs formed on its length. A wordless snarl formed on her lips, and with the sound of a gull's cry, a fireball flew at the fox-faced taicho. A blonde man dropped to the ground in front of her as she attempted to release a second blast, his own blade squarely hooked.

"Momo! I don't know why you think Ichimaru-taicho did this, but calm down! Lower your weapon and you might not get executed!" She ignored him, attempting to lift her blade for another attack. Izuru narrowed his eyes, striking her Zanpakuto five times in succession. The blade dropped from Momo's hands, creating a small crater in the ground. Momo lifted her hands by themselves, the telltale glow of a Kido forming.

"Stop." Toshiro phased between the two, his hand on his own Zanpakuto. "You didn't have permission to release your Zanpakuto, and you don't have evidence against Ichimaru-taicho. Both of you will be put in holding cells until this matter is settled." A dozen Shinigami wielding Sasumata rushed to detain the two fukutaicho, neither one resisting for fear Toshiro would actually hurt them.

"Nice job there, Hitsugaya-taicho. I was about to step in myself, thanks for keeping my hands clean." Toshiro glared at his colleague, refusing to answer him. 'The only reason I got involved was because I sensed you were about to kill Momo.' No, he could give the older man a warning, but he would need evidence before anything else could happen.

"I'm only going to say this once, so listen closely." Gin leaned forward, acting overly curious in what the young prodigy had to say. "If you so much as touch Momo, _I'll Kill You_." The two backed away from each other, Gin surprised enough to open his eyes. A Hell Butterfly flew over to them, interrupting their staredown with news of a meeting.

11111111111111111

(Present)

Yoruichi was impatiently waiting for Ichigo to wake up. She knew that he was close to fully recovered from his fight with Kenpachi, but there was no way he would be able to fight Byakuya in his current condition. An irritated groan sounded from behind her, nearly making her wince as she considered how upset Ichigo would be with her.

Ichigo really hoped he wouldn't pass out anymore, the headache he always woke up with was quite possibly more annoying than his father. He stood and walked to where he could see Yoruichi, observing his surroundings to be similar to those where he had trained with Urahara. "After everything that has happened, and you saving my life after my fight with Kenpachi, I'll give you a chance. Why did you keep me from fighting him and saving Rukia?"

Yoruichi met his eyes, glad he was calm enough for her to explain. "There's no way you can beat him yet. He still has a secret weapon you have yet to see, the greatest technique of any taicho save Kenpachi. **Bankai**, the final release of a Zanpakuto. Using raises the user's power on average from three to ten times what it is in their Shikai. It takes ten years to achieve, and another ten to master. I have the secret to allowing you to achieve it in three days."

Ichigo took a deep, calming breath. The level of Reiatsu from such an increase would have not only overpowered him, but crushed Rukia in her weakened state. His eyes followed Yoruichi as she walked away from him, straying once a little lower than was appropriate. A large doll, vaguely human shaped, was drawn from behind a boulder.

"This is a Tenshintai, it is used to forcibly manifest the Zanpakuto spirit of a Shinigami, by said Shinigami stabbing it with their Zanpakuto. Once this is accomplished, you will have three days of training to convince your spirit to grant you Bankai. Are you ready?" Ichigo nodded, drawing both of his blades and thrusting them into the doll as one. Bright golden light obscured its form, until a familiar figure stood before Ichigo.

"I see you have called me into the outside world, do you think yourself ready for all of my power?" The figure was just as regal in the outside world as he had been in Ichigo's head, holding himself with the utmost in nobility.

"Yes, I do. Even if I didn't, we don't have much choice. I can't beat my foes without your help, **Kogane**. Please, show me how to use your true strength, so I may better protect my friends." Yoruichi gazed curiously at Ichigo's Zanpakuto, believing wholeheartedly that many people wouldn't see how well it represented Ichigo. The being was obviously a king, the crown and ermine cloak made that obvious. It seemed to take his ideas of 'nobility, protection, and responsibility', and physically manifest a being using those concepts.

"Very well, Ichigo. First, you must pass a test. Fight me, blade to blade, and try to understand my power. There is one thing I want you to think on while you try to truly understand me. He who basks in the brightest of light, casts the darkest of shadows." Ichigo's Shikai blades materialized in the scabbards the spirit wore, barely a second passed before he charged Ichigo.

The young Shinigami ducked the attack, lashing out with a kick to buy some time and distance. He noticed that his blades had reformed on his person as well, though they weighed significantly less than he was used to. When he moved to guard against the next attack from his manifested spirit, he was shocked to see the blade it used go straight through his own. He managed to twist to the side, but took a shallow cut along his ribs in spite of his efforts to dodge. Even worse, another cut mirroring the first opened on his other side, though no blade had gone near there.

"Think, Ichigo! You have more than a sword, more than you can touch, more than you can see!" A stab from the shorter, wider blade opened larger wounds in his shoulders. This time, he noticed that the attack hit the front of his right shoulder, but the back of his left. He released a **Sokatsui** at his spirits stomach, disengaging from the battle and attempting to find what his spirit was using to strike him from behind. Instead of finding that, he saw a golden light flash from the ground, before it brightened to a painful white.

"You really don't understand yet, Ichigo? Maybe if I show you more of our power. **Hakko Taiho!**" The energy that had been building in the short blade the spirit used escaped from its prison in the blade. The formerly golden light grew more intense, until all color bleached from it. Ichigo leapt down from the plateau he had used to look around, the blast levelling it and tearing chunks from the ceiling.

Ichigo could feel the heat and pressure from the blast, amazed at how much more powerful it was than when he used it against Urahara. He was set upon once more as he landed, more confidence in his ability to handle the blades than the massive energy cannon his second sword had turned out to be. "Ichigo, stop trying to block our blades with your body! Think about what we've said and what has happened before we try again. Maybe you'll be able to draw an actual blade as opposed to a shadow next time."

The Tenshintai reappeared, the blades Ichigo was using vanished as his real ones became visible stabbed into the odd device. He knew that they would try again later that day, that his spirit had only relented due to the wounds he had suffered early on. Yoruichi walked over to him, examining his newest injuries. "I'm amazed that he tried so hard to hurt you, even if he was trying to teach you as well. Did he speak to you using the royal 'we' when you met him before, or is that new?"

Ichigo shook his head, ashamed that his first showing against his Zanpakuto was so feeble. "I don't think he was using it this time either. Urahara-san said that most people with dual-blades, like me, have two spirits. I suffered attacks that I didn't see from the opposite side of his attacks as well, I'm beginning to think that I only know half of my Zanpakuto." He sighed, at this rate he would be lucky to survive his Bankai training, let alone actually achieve his goal.

"It doesn't make any sense, I could see the blades I was using, I could even feel them, but they weren't there. I know that my powers are light based, but I doubt that includes illusions, especially considering I could touch them. His cryptic statements won't be any help until I can figure them out either. More than I can touch is probably about the fact that I didn't actually have a weapon in my hands, but I don't know what else he could have meant." Yoruichi frowned, while she had a slight idea, it was up to Ichigo to earn his Zanpakuto's respect and gain Bankai.

"I can give you some other training for now, before I get you healed up enough to go against him again. If you channel Reiryoku to your feet and take a step, you can activate **Shunpo**, a high-speed movement technique. It's what I did to stop Byakuya and knock you out at the bridge. Take some time to get used to moving like that, and meet me over by that rock formation." She pointed closer to the entrance, leaving Ichigo a few minutes to try and use this new technique.

Yoruichi had an excellent plan to tease Ichigo once more, she just needed a few minutes to get ready. Next time he practiced her favorite art, she would be there to show him how great she was and get more teasing, but her current plan was more than enough.

Ichigo moved to where Yoruichi had pointed earlier, only to blush heavily and pinch his nose at what he saw. Sitting in a hot spring with mist obscuring most of her form was his newest teacher. She turned her head and met his gaze, and began speaking once more in the sensual voice that had nearly killed him when he first saw her. "So, Ichigo-kun… would you like to join me in the bath?"

**Hakko Taiho: White Light Cannon**

**Endnote: So I didn****'t update last week, and between the last update and this one I hit three hundred favorites and 400 follows. This is also the 31st chapter I have posted overall, when my next story updates, I'll have more chapters than the number of days in any month. Sorry, no hints for next chapter in this endnote.**


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